Evening star., 1938-06-27
BUILDING CLIMBS
I'm NEARBY AREA
Metropolitan Survey Shows
Sharp Advances in May
Over Previous Month.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

an upSWlng OF more than $3,OO0,O ,OOO
over the April contracts. according
to the monthly summary completed
today by H. A. Johns, Washington
manager of the Dodge Reports Divi-
sion Of F. w. Dodge Corp
There is strong encouragement in
the record of contracts awarded here
in May. Private and public work
moved far over the April levels Resi-
Dental activity continued in the up
ward trend which has been evident
since January, Mr.. Johns said.
All of the May building and con-
struction contracts awarded in the
Washington area totaled $3.50, 600
That includes an 86 per cent gain
over the April awards, $3,5l8,O00. Mr.
Johns emphasizes that these local
figures are based on actual contract
awards, not permit grants" An aver
age May gain Of % per cent over April
was recorded for the building and
construction activities of the 81 East
ern States.
Private work accounted for $5,546.-
900 OF the Washington area total.
The May figures were S8 per cent
over those of April, $2,951 900, COM
pared with an average gain of IA pei
cent in the Eastern States.
Contracts in Sharp Rise.
May contracts to be financed from
public funds totaled 1894 900, a gail.
OF "A per cent from the April level
Of $567.000. These did not follow the
trend Of the 81 Eastern States. where
. As per cent rise was established in
May.
Residential contracts awarded in
May moved to the s3.463, 900 level in a
Is per cent rise from the April con-
tracts. s2,539,o00. The gain here was
well ahead of the Eastern States aver.
age rise of IL per cent in Residential,
work.
Non-residential contracts went to
the s2.56l 900 mark from Aprils s42l. :
goo. contrary to the average drop of 3
per cent in non-residential contract
valuations throughout the Eastern
States.
Finally Mr.. Johns reports on local
heavy engineering construction prof.
ects to be financed from public funds
and by the utilities. These totaled
eooo'oOO IN May, drop from the
April awards of $685. 900.
Boom in Building Loans.
The % building and loan associa-
fions doing business in the District of
columbia report total assets as of Nav
81 OF Sl26, Isl ,59l, which is high-water
mark for all time. Figures prepared by
Wilson Camp, secretary of the
DiStrlct OF Columbia Building and
Loan League, indicate that the great
est activity ever recorded has featured
the first five months of 1898.
According to Mr.. Camp the number
as well as the amount of new loans
made has steadily forged upward. The
net gain IN total resources in Nav over
the month previous was in excess of
S5,7O0.000. while 807 new loans were
recorded by the various associations
The increasing volume of loans
placed since the turn of the year is
SHOWN by months as follows: Janu-
ary, $1,9545O0; February, s2,0o3,841;
March, $2,428.500; April, $2.9s2, 1923:
May, $3,409,894
Baber on Counterfeiting.
Julian T. Baber of the United
States Secret Service gave an intensely
interesting address on counterfeit
Money" before the West Virginia
Bankers Association at White Sui
phur Springs Saturday.
He stressed the ways banks and
their employees may be protected
against the constant threat of the
founterfeiter, how the secret service
specializes in study of the activities
OF swlndler. and noted what fine
work bank tellers have done in as
slstlng in detecting bad money and
those who handle it.
Mr.. Baber believes that the dav is
not far distant when a study of print
ing and engraving values as applied
TO our currency system will be in
Guided in the curricula of high schools
and colleges. There is only one edu-
rational institution in the United
States, he said. which has recognized
the need for instructing its students
IN protection against the counter
letters threat-the Lewis Hotel Train
ing School in Washington, which in
Guides lectures on counterfeit money
by agents of the Secret Service.
B. & o. Reports Drop in Net.
Net railway operating income of the
Baltimore 81 Ohio Railroad in May
fotaled S84l .236, a drop of $l,414, ,285
from May, 1887. it was reported today.
The heaviest decrease was in the
freight department. where the slump
amounted to $4,666,591 from the like
period year ago. The company re-
ported net railway operating income
in the first five months of this year as
sl.132.883. against 11,744242 in the
like months of 1887, a decrease of
sl0,6ll,259 The decrease in freight
business totaled over s2l, 100000
Directors of the Terminal Refriger-
ating & Warehousing Corp. have de-
clared the regular semi-annual divi-
dend OF $3.50 per share, payable June
30 to stockholders of record June "a,
it was announced today by Secretary
j, P. Johnson
An interesting program has been
arranged for the May meeting of the
Bank Women's Club this evening at
the Women's City Club, Miss Mildred
Woodcock, the president, announces.
Tribute Paid John Brewer.
John Brewer, manager of the Wash
1ngton office of Dun g. Bradstreet, Inc,
was highly honored by his associates
Saturday. on the occasion of his 40th
anniversary with the concern. He was
rendered dinner at the Lafayette
Hotel. In 1898. Mr.. Brewer, a native
of Rockville, Md, entered the employ
of r. 6. Dun & Co., now Dun g. Brad
street. Inc. Two years later he was
promoted to manager of the office and
has held that position ever since. He
has remarkable fund of business
information and statistics.
The Columbia Building Association
has declared q Seni.annual dividend