Evening star., 1937-05-18
INSURANCE WEEK
ACTIVITIES PUSHED
Radio Programs and Brief
Talks Before Many Groups
Arranged.
BY ErWARD C. STONE.


to render special service to policy
holders, by radio broadcasts, and short
insurance talks before many different
organizations.
The weeks celebration opened yes
terday with record luncheon meet
Ing Of the association at the Willard
Hotel. followed by mass meeting at
the Department of Commerce, when
the leading speakers were Assistant
Secretary Ernest G. Draper and
George L. Hunt, Boston, chairman of
the Insurance Week National Com
mittee. A motion picture depicting
the Importance of life insurance also
was presented, many notables in the
business and political life of the Cap
ital being present.
Insurance leaders said today that
they are not so anxious to write new
policies during the week as to assist
present policyholders in checking up
their insurance needs. In the past,
however, insurance week has always
resulted in marked increase in new
insurance written all over the coun-
try. Economic conditions in WASH
ington indicate that great many ap-
pications for new policies will be
taken during the six days
President Laurence H Riggles of
the District Life Underwriters Asso-
citation and Earle w. Sapp, chairman
OF the associations General Com
mittee, expressed great satisfaction
today over the cooperation being
shown by the members. as we'll as the
enthusiasm in efforts to make the
week success
Three new directors of the under
writer's association were elected at the
noon meeting yesterday, Richard w.
Grlswold, John E. O'Brien and Gra-
ham E. Wilson. All have done very
valuable work for the association. Dur
ing the last year Mr.. O'Brien has been
editor OF the associations bulletin.
Carr Wins Bank Essay Contest.
Thomas ]. Groom, acting president
of the District of Columbia Bankers
Association, announced today that
Roland T. Carr of the Riggs National
Bank has been adjudged the winner of
the 1887 contest conducted by the
American Institute of Banking and
sponsored by the association.
Kenneth Birgfeld of the American
Security e. Trust won second place.
and Robert A. Morgan of the Nc
Lachlen Banking Corp. captured third
honors.
The essay this year was How Can
Employees Contribute to a Better Pub
lc Understanding of Banking?" This
subject is regarded as being particu-
larly interesting and important in view
OF the policy of many members of the
American Bankers Association to
adopt a program of better under
standing of banking on the part of
the public. This important program
Is largely the result of the efforts of
Robert V. Fleming, immediate past
president of the association, who has
long been keenly interested in the
move to take the mystery out of
banking.
Under the rules of the contest the
winners are given trip to the forth
coming nineteenth annual convention
OF the association, to be held at White
Sulphur Springs. Mr.. Carr, winner
of first place, will deliver his paper
as one of the addresses at the conven-
ton. The other two papers will ap-
pear in the printed proceedings Of the
conclave.
The judges of the contest were
George O, Vass, vice president and
cashier Of the Riggs National Bank;
Frederick P. H. Siddons secretary of
the American Security g. Trust Co.,
and L. P. McLachlen, president of the
McLachlen Banking Corp.
d. c. Building Expanding.
Not since May, 1880, has residential
building been undertaken in such
heavy volume as was reported in April
of this year According to F w.
Dodge Corp the value of residential
building operations started during
April in the 81 States east of the
Rocky Mountains amounted to S1O8,-
400, marking a gain of 20 per cent
over the March figure of S9O,167, 800
and an increase of 81 per cent over
the same area during April, 1886
The most important quantitative
gains occurred in the metropolitan
area OF New York and the Middle
Atlantic States Eastern Pennsylvania,
Southern New Jersey, Delaware, Mary
land, the District of Columbia and
Virginia..
For the initial four months of 1897
the total volume of residential build
Ing started in the 81 Eastern States
amounted to s339, ,782, 400. This rep
resented an increa of 78 per cent
over the figure of sl90,98 500 for the
corresponding four months of 1896.
Eisele Elected Director.
c. M. Eisele, president of Southeast
ern Industrial Bankers, Inc. l4O7 K
street, has been elected to the Board
OF Directors of the American Indus
trial Bankers Association, it was an
nounced today. The institution of
which he is president operates l3 in
dustrlal loan companies in Washing
ton and in adjoining States, so
that he has had wide experience in
TINS neld and is well fitted to serve
on the board of the national organiza-
ton.
Lewis Eisele is vice president and
treasurer of the local organization.
Harry j. Donoghue, vice president and
secretary, and Paul Chesley, assistant
secretary.
Rural Retail Sales Climb.
Daily average sales of general mer-
chandise in small towns and rural
areas for April we're about 1919 per
cent higher in dollar volume than for
April 1886, and were almost 20 per
cent above those for the same month
of 1895. These changes we're revealed
by preliminary estimates of the Bureau
Of Foreign and Domestic Commerce,
based on rural chain store and mail
order sales.