Evening star., 1938-05-05
BUILDING GAINS
|NF|FTK DISTRICT
Permits Total $7,531,432
in March, or 4.3 Per Cent
Above February.

Building permits issued in 81 fifth
district cities in March totaled $751;
432, an increase OF 4.3 per cent over
permits totaling s7,218,9l4 granted in
February this year, but % per cent
below the value of s9,692,773 issued
in March year ago, details from the
Richmond Reserve Banks monthly re-
view disclose. Building permits issued
in Washington during March totaled
S2,0s8,7 ,725, the figures being the high
est of any city in this territory.
The review includes figures for
actual contracts awarded in February,
the Washington total standing at
s1.802,0OO, against s7,275,0O0 in Febru-
ary year ago, drop of IS per cent.
Maryland contracts totaled s3,047, ,000
off Is per cent and Virginia contracts
amounted to s3,154.0oO, down "a per
cent.
Employment held up well from Feb
ruary to March, the Reserve Bank re-
port states. The number of persons
on pay rolls in the Capital declined
per cent, but the amount of pay rolls
increased 08 per cent. In Maryland
the number gained 06 per cent and
the amount 26 per cent. In Virginia
the number gained 06 per cent, but
the amount Of pay rolls was off 0.3 per
cent from the previous month.
Automobile Sales Fall OFF.
While there was seasonal gain in
the number of automobiles sold in
March over February, sales in this
district were still below last year.
In March, 1898, there were 1907 new
passenger cars sold in Washington,
against 3,158 in March, 1887, a drop
of AZ per cent.
Automobile sales in the Capital in
the first quarter totaled 1895, against
ITS in the like month year ago,
a decrease of 81 per cent. Maryland
auto sales totaled 1858 in March;
SPAS last year; down As per cent;
6,028 in the first quarter VS.. 10,959
year ago, a drop of As per cent. Vir-
ginia auto sales were 2,764 in March,
off 40 per cent and 1928 in the
three months, off 81 per cent.
Virginia made the best percentage
showing in the first quarter and West
Virginia the poorest in the territory
reviewed.
Increase in Liabilities.
The number of commercial failures
in the fifth district in March was lower
than year ago, but liabilities were
129 per cent higher. Liabilities in
Maryland, District of Columbia, Vir-
ginia and North Carolina increased.
West Virginia and South Carolina re-
ported lower figures.
There were so failures in the fifth
district in March, involving 1923, ,0OO
in liabilities, compared with SO in
March last year, involving $359,00O
in liabilities. In the first quarter OF
this year failures in this area totaled
154, with liabilities of s2,033, 600
against 158 failures a year ago and
81 1,284,00O in liabilities.
Debts to individual accounts in "a
cities totaled 81, liza, ,478.O0O IN Marcn,
against sl,350,170,000, a decrease OF
13 per cent, the report says.
Sales in IS department stores in the
fifth district in March totaled s9,507.-
957, against s11 OPT 1862 last year, of
little over 13 per cent.
Sales of 146 wholesale firms
amounted to S10,718,000 in March in
comparison with s12,64s,oo0 in March,
1887, drop Of is per cent, the review
discloses.
Two other important barometers,
cotton consumption by bales and the
amount of sold coal mined, showed
similar slumps when compared with
last year. Some Of the figures from
reporting banks, however, showed in
creases in activity.