Evening star., 1938-03-20
Weeks Gain of 7.89 Pct.
Leaves Volumes All
Under Year Ago.
ADVANCE IS REPORTED
IN WHOLESALE TRADE
Fifth District Cities Make Better
Showing Than Other Areas
During Week.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

AhSAo SeoAC Go AAAS liAC PdSG WCCh
registered gain of 789 per cent over
the previous week, only one store re-
porting decrease, the Commerce De-
partment reported yesterday in a re-
view of business conditions in 36 i'm
portant cities. The report added that
there was an average decrease of All
per cent in store sales when compared
with the corresponding week a year
ago.
In the rest of the fifth district trade
for the week continued to run slightly
below the comparative period year
ago. Baltimore and Charleston, S. c.,
reported trade ahead of the previous
week and Richmond announced that
trade in the month of February was
more than IL per cent ahead of Feb
ruary, 1887.
The trade percentages for Wash
ington and many other cities in this
territory were much more favorable
than those covering other sections of
the country The fact that Easter
falls three weeks later than last year
is Of great Importance in appraisins
trade conditions. Wholesalers re-
ported gain during the week in pre-
Easter buying. the Commerce review
stated.
Washington bank clearines were
SoWer than in the same week last
year. Building permits totaled S240.-
900 against s8l2,1l0 year ago 1t is
now estimated by the Federal Reserve
Board that the lateness of Easter will
make difference of about per cent
in March trade
Convention "Call' I.sucd.
r Stanley Holland, general chair
man of the 1898 convention of the
District Bankers Association, has is
sued invitations to bank officers, di-
rectors and their friends to attend the
annual conclave at Hot Springs Va,
on June 8, 10. II and II.
The so-called first CALI is accom-
panied by return postal card and
it Is anticipated that reservations will
come in promptly. This committee
and the Program Committee are now
hard at work perfectins advance
plans.
Tho bankers and their friends will
make the train trip to and from Hot
Springs in the daytime again this
year This plan was adopted last
year for the White Sulphur visit and
proved highly successful, as it avoided
two nights on sleepers.
Exchange Trading Lively.
During busy session of the Wash
ington Stock Exchange yesterday. City
e. Suburban SIS, 1858, sold at So on
two $1,000 transactions. Washington
Gas IS, 1858. were again strong
changing hands at 1053s.
In the stock division Capital Transit
opened with 25-share sale, following
with 27-share transfer, both at 75a
The stock ended the week with -.
bid and 7ss asked.
Mergenthaler Linotype appeared on
the board again, 10 shares moving at
ls1. and IS more at 10 fiat. The
hnal bid was 18 with 1878 asked. The
stock has sold lower since it was an
nounced few days ago that the mat
ter OF dividends will not be given fur
ther consideration until near the end
OF the fiscal year, although sales are
now running better than in the like
period a year ago.
Air Traffic up 10. Per Cent.
American Airlines, Inc, handled
1913 per cent more passengers in
washington in February than in the
same month last year. according to
District Manager Herbert D. Ford.
The figures for February were 35 per
cent better than January which in
turn was 264 per cent ahead of Janu-
ary. 1887. Mr.. Ford said.
The report states that 1859 pas
sengers were carried in February
against 1914 in January of this year
and 702 in February year ago.
Business gains in the first two and a
half months of the present year indi-
cate that additional service through
Washington will soon be required
Such plans already are under way,
Mr.. Ford announced.
Bisch0ff Guest of Controllers.
The District of Columbia Control
OF the Controllers Institute of America
will meet at the Carlton Hotel Tues
DAY at $50. The regular meeting,
after dinner, will consist of a round
table discussion on the merit rating
provisions of the District of Columbia
Unemployment COMPENSATION Act
john L. Bischoff Of the District OF
Columbia Unemployment Compensa-
ton Board will be a guest.
The president of this gro,,p. which
Is a local body of the national Or
ganization, is John Davies of Wood.
ward & Lothrop. w. r. Little. of Tn,
Evening Star, is vice president and
Humphrey Lloyd of Washington Prop.
critics, Inc, secretary-treasurer.
Heard in Financial District.
William NJ. Aitchison. associated
with Remington-Rand. Inc. for tn.
past 13 years. has Joined the staff o.
slauson, White e. Rowe. Inc, Wash.
ineton, distributors for independents.
Fund of North America.
John w. Prentiss. partner in Horn.
blower 81 Weeks, who died suddenly
in New York, was known here as {
former president of the Investment
Bankers Association and the Associa'
tion OF Stock Exchange Firms of New
York. He was born in Bangor. Me.
in 1875 and was a graduate Of Harvard
Thomas J. Groom, president of tn.
District Bankers Association, has re-
turned from a week visit at Atlantic
City.
Merle Thorpe, editor of Nation!
Business, was one of the leading
speakers at the closing session Of tn.
American Bankers Association con-
ference In Indianapolis.