Evening star., 1938-04-02
$184,56O TRANSIT
PROFIT FORECAST
Estimate of 1888 Earnings
Stimulates Hopes for
Small Dividend.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

BY EDWARD C. STONE.
The Capital Transit Co. has just
made an estimate that this years
revenues available for the stock
holders will approximate $l8d,56o.
The company is distributing most
interesting 1888 calendar which esti-
mates the years income and goes on
to state where it will go. The days of
the months are printed in colors, the
heaviest expense being for operating
wages.
OF the years income 1856 days rev.
enues will 60 for operating wages.
Operating materials and expenses will
require 79 days revenues.
Taxes will absorb 80 days revenues
while depreciation will take away Al
days revenues.
Interest on bonds and notes will
make use for % days revenues. That
leaves just six days more in the whole
year. The six days revenues, the
calendar shows, is the balance re-
naming for the stockholders.
The Capital Transit Co. estimates
which accounts for the total of more
than $184,000 already mentioned, as
the sum which will be left for the
shareholders after all other expenses
have been met.
The fact that only six days rev.
enues can be set aside for the stock
holders after full years operations
1o
particularly encouraging, as it takes
$24O,0O0 to pay 81 a share. The
$184,560 balance, however, would ap-
pear to make smaller disbursement
possible. And any sum would be
welcome.
Capital Bright Business Spot.
Washington is listed in the April
issue of Forbes Magazine as one
of the best places in the United States
for concentrating sales activities. for
collections, and for promoting other
business operations.
Washington is the center of the
fifth best high-spot territory in the
United States today, according to the
magazine figures.
While business in this territory is
not ahead of a year ago, it shows
smaller decline than other terri
tories containing 100000 or more
population.
For the territory which includes
Washington, the median loss over
last year has recently been SO per
cent.
Home Building Costs Lower.
The cost of building a small house
has now turned definitely downward,
measured by the building cost index
of the Federal Home Loan Bank
Board.
Reports to the board from % cities
clearly show this. The February, 1898,
reports, in comparison with Novem-
Der, 1887, reports for the same cities,
were downward in all except seven
cities, and only three of these seven
showed increases of more than l
per cent. One reported no change.
1t is regarded as particularly signifi-
cant, says the United States Chamber
of Commerce, that February building
costs this year in four cities were
below 1887 February costs.
Upturn in Savings Noted.
Saving money on systematic basis
Is done by only 40 per cent of the
families in this country, according
to survey on money made by a
leading women's magazine. Savings.
however, show definite upturn, says
Carni A. Thompson. president of the
Fidelity Investment Association, an
organization devoted exclusively to
the encouragement of thrift.
Mr.. Thompson points to the fact
that all savings institutions reported
an increase during the past fiscal
year and the volume of business done
by his company during 1887 showed
so per cent increase over 1886. This
upward trend is continuing even
stronger this year, he says.
Exchange Head in Capital.
Charles R. Gay, president of the |
New York Stock Exchange, testified |
at private hearing conducted by the |
Securities and Exchange Commission
this week on the Richard Whitney |
case.
Although no information of the |
meeting was made public, it was |
learned in S. E. c. quarters that the
interest of the commission centered |
about any possible changes in the ex-
changes rules to forestall any pos
slble recurrence of irregularities SIM |
liar to those in the Whitney situation. |
Another point on which the S. E. c. |
wanted information, it was reported, |
was what knowledge, if any, the ex-
change had of the Whitney case be- |
fore it was made public
Would Organize Investors.
A national campaign to enroll one |
million American citizens in the non- |
partisan American Federation of In |
vestors, with national headquarters at |
IS East Wacker drive, Chicago, IS
announced by DR.. Hugh S. Magill, |
president of the federation.
In issuing the call for one million |
average American investors to unite |
for the preservation of free enterprise, |
individual initiative, thrift, and to OBJ
tain a fair deal for the honest in
vestor, DR.. Magill declared that recent |
economic developments in the United |
States had made more apparent than
ever before the need for organization
Of the middle class citizens.