Evening star., 1937-12-19
YULERUSHBR|NCS
ANOTHER JUMP IN
D. c. STORE SALES
Volumes Up 14.34 Per Cent
More After Climb of
Previous Week.
REMAIN 4.55 PER CENT
BELOW MARK YEAR AGO
Good Shopping Weather Unleashes
Holiday Demand-Nearby
Areas Also Gain.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

week just ended, registering sub
stantial increase of 1434 per cent over
the previous week which, it will be
recalled, scored gain of 55.87 per cent
over the week previous to that date.
1t Is doubtful if trade has ever ad-
vanced more rapidly in the Capital
in 50 short period.
Department store sales here during
the last week were ASS per cent under
the corresponding week last year, the
Commerce Department reported yes
terday in the usual weekly review.
This was smaller decrease :han was
reported in the previous week when
trade was 557 per cent below the
mark year ago.
Perfect shopping weather during
the week caused a rush of holiday
buyers to Washington stores that has
rarely been equaled. The volume of
Christmas trade was reported as tre-
mendous, even if not quite up to last
year. With Christmas so near, mer-
chants are glad to admit that trade
for the holiday season is certain to be
highly satisfactory even if bad weather
should prevail during part of the
time this week. Business has far out
dlstanced many expectations.
Sharp increases in trade in other
cities in the district, over the previous
week, were reported. Slight increases
also were reported over the same week
last year, except at Charleston, S. C.
Baltimore announced retail trade still
maintaining a slight level of i'm
provement over the corresponding
week year ago" Norfolk was well
ahead of the previous week and year."
The Commerce report added that
wholesale trade in the fifth district
was little changed.
ID. c. Store Collections Lag.
Department store collections in
Washington in November Jagged be-
hind several other cities in the fifth
district, the Reserve Bank of Rich
mond reported yesterday. Bills paid
here during the month were 27.7 per
cent of the amount due while Rich
mond reported 33.5 per cent, Balti-
more 32.7 per cent, a group Of other
cities 31.8 per cent and an average
for the whole district of 80 per cent.
Stock turnover in the Capital
stores, however, was better than in
most other cities and ahead of the
fifth district average. Furthermore.
in the first II months of this year
Storks in tho ctoroc have r,or, +,,,,, II
3.704 times against 3529 times for
the whole district
AS already noted, retail sales in
Washington were a little over / per
cent lower than in November, 1886,
but were fractionally higher in the
first II months than in the like 1886
period.
More Dividends Declared.
Directors Of the Security Storage
Co. have declared the regular quar-
terly dividend of SLIPS per share on
the capital stock, payable January 10
to stockholders Of record January 6.
1t was announced yesterday.
Directors of the Consolidated Title
Corp. have authorized payment of all
accrued dividends due on the COM
pany's preferred stock through De-
cember 81, 1887. The dividend will be
paid on December 81 to stockholders
OF record at noon December "a.
Many stocks listed on the Washing
ton Stock Exchange are to pay divi-
dends during the next few days
which have already been declared
Among the corporations are American
Telephone, Lincoln National Bank,
Bank of Bethesda, Bank of Commerce
81 Savings, Carpet Corp, Lincoln
Service Corp common and preferred.
Peoples Drug Stores common, Real
Estate Mortgage & Guaranty pre-
ferred and Terminal Refrigerating &
Warehousing Corp.
Members Of the Washington Stock
Exchange must have done a great
deal more Christmas shopping than
trading on the exchange yesterday.
Only one sale was recorded, a small
lot OF Washington Gas Light pre-
ferred stock, which changed hands
at 80.
.Tung Oil Group Organizes.
Washingtonians interested in tung
oil investments and development or
ganized the Pearl River Tung Oil As
sociation at meeting held at the
Mayaower Hotel Friday night. The
group Is interested in approximately
10000 acres Of tung trees planted for
more than 100 owners by L. o. Crosby
& Sons of Picayune, Pearl River
County. Miss.
j. B. Woodside, General Motors
Corp, was elected president; j. O.
Lamkin, assistant manager, cotton
pool, Department of Agriculture, vice
president; Mrs. Ada Sanderson, Sec
retary, and Mrs. Polly Moore Morri-
son, treasurer. The organization
starts with more than 60 members,
brought together by j. Riley Rankin
OF Washington, a member of the
group.
Members Of the association claim
the Pearl River planting has received
added stimulus since the war in
China blocked the world supply of
tung oil from the Yangtze Valley.
Heard in Financial District.
Controller of the Currency j. F. r.
O'Connor is making special efforts to
speed up insolvent bank dividend
payments before Christmas. During
the week ended December Is he Or
dered payments in Is national banks
and the Departmental and North Cap
ttol Savings Banks in Washington.
Total payments Of $772,65e to 81, ,989
claimants
In the first 10 months Of this year
the Pennsylvania Railroad earned
t2.0S share against $2.2s . year ago.