Evening star., 1936-02-17
BUSINESS PUSHES
: FORWARD IN D. c.
Spring Advance Expected to
Widen Gains Over 1885
Further.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

BY EDWARD y. SIONE'
Business in the Capital so far in
1885 indicates substantial improve
ment In the first quarter over the
like period in 1885.
Complete reports for January have
just been compiled; unofficial Fec
ruary returns for the first half month
have been favorable and March will
see the opening of Spring, in which
a general business pickup here Is
practically certain.
Five of the leading business barom-
eters show that January started of the
new year with more than ordinary
gains. Kilowatt per hour sales in
the District totaled 52,964,846, against
47.724.426 kilowatt hour sales in
January, 1885, an increase of 5,240,-
420, or 1898 per cent. according to
the Potomac Electric Power Co.
Bank Clearings Jump.
The Washington Clearing House
Association reports Cancelled checks
revealed marked increases in business
activity, bank clearings jumping to
S69,99O,549. This is pickup OF more
L
January, 1885. Furthermore, the
first two weeks Of February revealed
practically the same upswing over
February year ago.
There are few barometers consid-
cred more accurate than telephone
service figures. The Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Co. reports that
at the close of January Washington
was served by 2O3,2l0 telephones, as
compared with 190,259 at the end OF
January, 1885, net gain of 1926
telephones in January of this year.
Telephone calls in the first month
of the year also increased over the
same period year ago, there having
been 86l,785 average calls per day,
as compared with only 747,418 average
daily calls during January, 1885. The
number of calls and new stations have
been impressive all over the United
States, according to reports for the
whole Bell System. vital factor IN
the sensational climb of American
Telephone stock to 1T.
Postal Receipts Larger.
The January report from the City
Post Office also tells the same story
of business progress. postal receipts Of
S612,59349 comparing with 1886 ,949 a
year ago, or a gain of almost $4,000
over January. 1885. Postal receipts
have been advancing so steadily in the
Capital for so many months that Feb
ruary and March will no doubt reveal
similar stepping-up in business.
Department store trade figures pic
tured a gain of 14.7 per cent over
the opening month in 1895. Here, too,
gains have been scored for many
months. Trade just now is spotty, the
icy streets slowing up sales in part of
February, while bitter cold weather
has forced additional buying in heavy
Winter goods. Merchants said to-
day they were confident that February
business and the first quarter would
outstrip the 1885 totals in the same
month.
Insurance Gains Reported.
Assets of the Provident Mutual Life
Insurance Co. of Philadelphia, at the
end of 1885, amounted to S298, SIT 900,
an increase of S14,172,00O during the
year, M A. Linton, president, stated
in his annual report. THE improve
ment in general business conditions
during 1885 has been reflected in the
business of the Provident Mutual" :"
Mr. Linton stated.
The amount of insurance the COM
pany had outstanding at the close Of
1885 was 1894, 1887 900, marking the
tva cf n
recorded since 1881 New paid insur-
ance amounted to S78, ,863, ,000 a gain
of 4 per cent over the corresponding
figure for 1884 This is all the more
encouraging, in that 1884 had shown
an increase over the previous year and
the first increase since $780," Mr.. Lin
ton stated.
Two Vital Recovery Factors.
The Associated Press today calls at
tention to improvement in two vital
recovery factors-railroads and build
ing-and says that expansion trends
In these two bulwarks of industry will
help tighten the Governments depres-
sion load of emergency financial aid.
The housing discussion carried on for
weeks behind the scenes has come to
the surface in attempts to reach agree
ment on a long-range plan for slum
clearance, with further evidence OF
division in thought between right and
left wing forces over how much money
the Government should put into sub
sidy of homes for the lowest-income
classes. The plan espoused by leading
administration housing advisers marks
an important shift, in so far as 1t looks
toward placing the responsibility OF
actual building, land condemnation
and MANAGEMENT upon local communi-
ties and States.
The slow comeback of the depres-
sion-scarred railroads PAGES closely
the building stride. The carriers,
hungry for traffic. eye construction
prospects as a rainbow of promise.
Their loadings of lumber and other
building materials have been an i'm
portant contribution to recent in
creased earnings.
Southern's Showing Improves.
The 1885 report of the Southern
Railway has drawn a good deal of ia
yorable comment in the financial dis
trict. Net loss of $1,523,193 after
taxes and charges compares with a
net loss in 1884 of S2,795, ,243 and a
net loss of only $734,800 in 1884. The
improvement over the previous year
is considered highly important. Gross
in 1885 totaled $82, 1908 ,702, against
$78,183,701 a year ago, but expenses
were also considerably higher.
In his optimistic review of business
conditions Col. Leonard P. Ayres of
Cleveland says that the most prom
Using development is the increasing
demand for heavy products used for
railroad and construction work. For
the first time since 1925 building con-
tracts have been advancing, he says,
and present prospects are that the
steel industry will have a more pros
porous year in 1896 than it has had
for the past half decade.