davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Cutin Zinc Price
Features Metal Market
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Dec. "a cut of
one-half cent pound in zinc this
week emphasized slightly lower
trend in several non ferrous metals.
The rush to buy copper and lead.
for instance, that came on the heels
of war In Europe appeared to have
subsided as consumers considered
their inventories = little more care
fully.
The new price of 8 cents, East st.
Louis, for zinc, brought 1t back to
the level prevailing in early Sep
tember, when Q series of markups
carried the metal to $50.
Competitive influence of importa-
tions OF zinc ore and concentrate
from Mexico and Belgium was fac.
tor leading to the lower price, OBJ
servers said.
The premium on copper in the re-
sale market narrowed to around
four r-tenths of q cent over the un-
changed producer and refiner price
of 1911 cents. New demand for the
red metal slackened considerably.
Activity in the lead market was
curtailed, although the price held
firm at 5.50-5.55 cents.
, Operations in the steel industry
declined slightly, but this was at
tributed chiefly to needed repair
work. At the same time new In
quiry contracted moderately ut chief
ceuterS.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Security Savings
Pays ; Per Cent
Christmas Bonus

Directors of the Security Savings
& Commercial Bank have declared
and already paid Christmas bonus
of 3 per cent Of yearly salaries to all
employees of the institution, Presi-
dent Francis G.. Addison, jr., an
nounced yesterday.
This is the second special Yuletide
disbursement voted by Washington
bank this year, directors of the City
Bank having declared . bonus OF .
half months salary to all employees.
Several other banks are contem-
plating similar action, it was re-
ported In the financial district yes
tardAy.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Chicago Stock Market
Moves in Marrow Runqe

b. tht Associated Press.
CHICAGO. Dec. 9.-Fractional
gains and losses were sprinkled about
evenly through the list of securities
traded here today. Transactions
totaled 5000 shares.
At the close "a issues were slight
ly higher, 80 slightly lower and 26
were unchanged.
Volume for the week totaled 168,-
600 shares, compared with $4,000
last week and l70 200 Q year ago.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Titles for 2,439 New
Cars Are Registered
During November
BY DONALD b. HADLEY.

New-car sales in the District of
Columbia extended their recovery
during November while gasoline con-
sumption. despite the usual seasonal
decline, remained at all-time peaks
for this time of year, reports from
District officials showed yesterday.
Titles for 2.439 new cars were is
sued at the Traffic Bureau during
November compared with 2,309 in
the previous month, 2,275 in october,
1898. and 2,003 in the same 1887
month.
All months this year have regis
tered large gains over year ago,
but November is only the second
month to record a gain over 1887
levels
New-car titles in the first II
months of this year totaled 25,87l,
against 17,744 in the same period
last year and 30,50l in the 1887
period.
Titles issued in 1889 and 1898
months compare as follows.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
,ILvER SPRING.
Living Costs Rise.

Living costs in Washington, as
reflected by the Bureau OF Labor
Statistics index, advanced sharply
in the third quarter, with food
prices taking the lead. Other COM
ponent parts Of the index also ad-
vanced with the exception Of rents.
which continued to move slightly
lower.
The bureau reports its general
index, using the 1923-1925 average As
100, stood at 874 on September IS
compared with $50 on June Is. The
March Is index was $50.
The September index also was
above the $40 recorded for the
same date Ia 1858 but was behind
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Seasonal Decline Larger.

Every month this year has
brought substantial gain over the
corresponding month of 1888. While
the decline from August levels is
normal for October, it was larger
this year than in the same 1888
period.
Between August and October this
year there was a drop of 626,772
gallons in contrast with a drop OF
315. .492 gallons between the same
1888 months.
The decline between August and
September this year was smaller
than a year ago, but the october
total this year ran behind the pre-
vious month while in October last
year there was a gain over the pre-
vious month.
Monthly totals so far this year
compare with 1898 as follows:
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Stock Market
Turns Irregular
In Dull Session
Numerous Issues
Close Unchanged
Or Shade OFF
BY FREDERICK GARDNER,
a,so.;o+od press rinan ncial Writer.


NEW YORK, Dec 9.-Speculative
inspiration was lacking in today's
final stock market of the week and
slightly irregular price changes
ruled throughout.
A few Steels, rails, motors and
aircrafts managed to cling to in
consequential gains, but numerous
issues closed unchanged or of a
shade.
The list showed no inclination to
bounce out OF its slim groove at any
time and the ticker tape did little
more than crawl.
Like so many recent Saturdays
attendance in boardrooms was es-
pecially slack and most traders who
did appear kept commitments at a
minimum.
261,73O Shares Traded.
Transfers for the two hours
amounted to 26l, ,730 shares, against
228, 100 week ago, which was the
lightest turnover since July Is The
Associated Press average of go
stocks was of OIL of a point at 507.
On the week the composite was up
O.4 of a point after finishing the
previous two weeks on the down.
side. Last year at this time the
average stood at 502.
Minor losers in the brief session
included General Motors, Goodyear,
American Can, Union Carbide. Ana
conda. Western Union, Santa Fe,
New York Central, Socony, Stand
ard Oil of New jersey and Du Pont.
Up shade were Chrysler, United
States Steel. Pennsylvania. South
ern Pacific. International Hervester,
Boeing. United Aircraft, American
Telephone and American Air Lines.
Curb Market Scrambled.
In a well-scrambled curb market
gains were posted for American
Cyanamid "B," Fisk Rubber, N. j.
Zinc and Electric Bond & Share.
Lake Shore and Humble Oil re-
treated. Turnover of $4,000 shares
compared with 7l.000 week ago
With the country's department
store sales in the week of December
2 registering year-to-year drop Of
per cent, some observers began to
express doubts regarding the ability
of the economic curve to keep up
in the early part of 1910. This
skepticism, 1t was thought, helped
dim share buying appreciably.
In addition. brokerage circles
thought the continued trickle of
year -end tax selling and foreign
liquidation may have had consider
able to do with the days apathetic
performance.
Plenty Of Optimism.
Despite sour predictions here and
there. plenty of optimism still was
to be found in the financial sector
Followers Of the motors were buoyed
by the sharp strides in automotive
sales and production and forecasts
output for the first quarter was
likely to hit record peak for this
period. Steels were aided by guesses
next weeks mill operations would
hold around present levels.
There was nothing much in the
news to spur stocks Monday and de-
clines predominated Aviations and
specialties led quiet forward swing
Tuesday as earnings and dividends
were given more attention and some
arrived at the conclusion of tech
nical recovery was in the cards. On
Wednesday the market had its best
day since October II, with the CO.
stock average jumping Z of point.
Buyers took a rest Thursday and
prices dipped in sluggish transac-
tions Friday.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Gasoline Gains Held.

While registering its usual sea-
sonal decline from the August peak
this year, gasoline consumption as
measured by District of Columbia
tax invoices in october and the first
10 months of 1899 stood at new all
time records for those periods.
October consumption of 12,401, ,l31
gallons compared with 12,453 ,933
gallons in the previous month of
September and 11,763,021 gallons in
October. 1898. 1t was nearly double
the total for october, 1929, and more
than treble the record for October,
1925, the first full year in which the
gasoline tax was collected here.
Consumption in the first 10
months of this year reached 49,
382,075 gallons against 1880 JAG
gallons in the same 1898 months.
1t also was more than double the
same 1929 months and more than
treble the same 1925 months.
october and 10-month volumes in
various wears follow:
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Two Bank Sections
Plan Joint Meetino

The Rev. John K. Cartwright, who
has just returned from an extensive
tour of Europe, will discuss his OBJ
servations there, as the guest speaker
at the joint dinner meeting of the
Safe Deporit and Auditors Sections
Of the District Bankers Association,
Thursday night at the Lee House.
T. Eugene Elgin. chairman Of the
Safe Deposit Section, will preside.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
SeUout Forecast
For YuIe Tree
Liuht Bulbs
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND, Dec. "a big man
ufacturer of Christmas tree bulbs
said today the $50 000, 900 cone-type
bulbs made this year in the United
States are going to be a sellout.
This is 20 per cent over last years
record total.
"All indications point to a sellout
of the American product" the man.
ufacturer said. "The public will have
to resort to the 10000, 900 bulbs i'm
ported from Japan"
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Arlington Keeps Lead.

Arlington Post ONCE again made
the best showing in adjoining Sec
tions with a November total of $13.-
1876, which was more than double
the $6,605 mark for the same month
in 1896, the year in which the sepa-
rate Arlington Office was created.
November receipts compared with
1876 in the 1898 month and 1898
in the 1927 month.
In the first II months of this year,
Arlington receipts jumped to $128,-
564 against $1O3259 in the 1898
period and $91 1923 in the 1897 pc
riod.
The three other post offices in ad-
joining sections also reported sub
stantial gains for November and the
II months. Receipts at the Alex
andria, Hyattsville and Silver Spring
Offices in various years follow:
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Postal Receipts Higher.

fOStAl nccclptS hlSncr.
Postal receipts in both the District
of Columbia and four leading Offices
in adjoining sections OF the Metro
politan area set new all-time rec
ords in the first II months of this
year.
The District of Columbia total. as
previously reported. advanced to ST.
O09, 1888 against $6,827 .625 in the 1888
period and $6.493,99 in the same
1887 months. 1t also compared with
only $3.247,770 in the 1920 period
and $5.294,26l in the 1929 period.
Receipts did not make as favorable
a showing for November as for the
II months. The November total of
$677 ,293 was behind the record $770,-
859 for the same month last year,
but with that exception were the
highest for the month on record.
District receipts in November and
the first II months Of various years
follow.
Evening star., 1939-12-10

the N a t / 0 n a l
Asso c iation OF
M an hfacturers.
He went with
the Arm strong
company in 1907
from q position
with the Univer-
sity of Cincin-
natl.
Mr.. Pre- n t ! S
has made a bril-
liant record IN
the busi.n e S S
world, his ad-
vancement in his
n W n cOmDany
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Food Prices Recover.

Breaking the general index into
its component part. foods are the
most important. The food index on
September IS stood at 82.6 per cent
of the l923-25 average, compared to
1873 on June Is and 78 on March IS.
1t was ahead of 807 in September,
1898, but was below 876 in Septem-
Der, 1887, and 1854 in September,
1896.
Food indexes for September or
the nearest reported month in vari-
Gus years are reviewed below:
Evening star., 1939-12-10
New York Sugar

NEW YORK. Dec. P-Domestic
sugar futures were easier In quiet trading
today. Cuban liquidation and commission
house selling met little support from either
refiners or professionals. Lack of definite
Washington news on the 1910 sugar pro-
gram contributed to q cautious tendency.
lower. rejecting q little speculative and
European liauidation. Demand came prin-
cipally through wire house and commission
interests
No open offerings Of raw sugar we're
reported. Cubas were unchanged at the
last sale price of 3.29 cents. duty paid.
Refined was quiet at 4.T0 cents.
Futures No. 3 closed unchanged to I
lower. Sales 900 tons.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
ompare with 1898 as follows:
Ten mos 1882. .O7541 111.35O.149. .O5
Express Shipments Soar.

Washington railway express ship
ments, an important part of which
are for retail business, jumped in
November to a new all-time peak for
that month and were 20.3 per cent
ahead of the same month a year
ago, the Railway Express Agency
reported yesterday. Shipments also
were the largest for the year to date.
The November increase equaled
the one reported in May, which pre-
viously had stood as the largest 1899
increase over 1888 levels. The Oc-
tober gain over a year ago was only
1.3 per cent. A year ago there was
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Clothing Prices Turn Tn.

Clothing prices. after an inter-
vening decline which carried their
index to 1926 in March and June
this year. rebounded to 82.9 on
September Is. The average was un-
changed from September 10, 1898.
Clothing indexes for September
and the closest reported month in
Nfl e.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
RuiIroud Authorized
To Sell Certificates
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Rail-
way received authorization from the
Interstate Commerce Commission
yesterday to sell $4,250,000 of 212
per cent equipment trust certificates
in connection with the purchase of
new equipment. The certificates
will be sold at 104.6256 per cent Of
par plus accrued dividends.
Evening star., 1939-12-10

on the Washington Exchange from
$3.50 share to $3.50 during the week.
On account of the very high yield,
none is being offered at any price.
Washington Railway A Electric
new participating certificates are be-
ing quoted over the counter at 1871
bid and 2o1a asked.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Rents Slide Further,

The bureaus Washington rent in
dex sank to 86.5 on September Is
this year, compared with 1855 on
June IS and S68 on March IS. 1t
has been declining since September,
1887, when it reached 1t post-depres-
sion peak of 882 From there it fell
to 881 in December, 1887. 88 in
March. 1898, 87.7 in June, 1898, 87.4
in September, 1898 and 81 in De-
cember, 1898.
Rent indexes for September or
the closest reported month in other
wears follow.
Evening star., 1939-12-10

praises OF the
two-day session.
About 80 fnan-
ciers attended
from the Capt.
tai, headed by
o r d Preston,
president of the
District Bank
ers' Association.
The conference
drew more than
600 bankers and
was the first of
the kind to be
held in t h e
S o u t h eastern
States
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Hamilton Manufacturing Co.
McGraW Electric Co.

TWO RIVERS. Wis, Dec. 9 tP.-
The Board of Directors of the Ham :
ilton Manufacturing Co. announced
today IA per cent dividend of first
preferred stock and 81 payment
on class A preferential participating
stock. to be paid December 20.
The IA per cent payment repre-
sents the accumulated 7 per cent
dividend for 1888 and the current
dividend. The 81 is in full for the
current year.
The company manufactures furni-
ture specialties.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
'Integration' Clause
Decision Expected
Next Week
Ruling to Enforce Law
Would Bring Hearings
For Utilities
BY the Associated Press,

6S the ASSOClhteO fTeSS.
NEW YORK, Dec. 9.-Utility
sources here said today they had
been informed a decision might be
expected next week as to whether
the Securities and Exchang Com
mission will attempt to enforce the
'integration" clause of the 1885
Holding Company Act before the
next session of Congress.
Should the decision be to enforce
the law as interpreted by the
S. E. c.. these sources said, it was
expected hearings for some leading
utility systems would be ordered for
the near future.
These hearings presumably. they
said, would be followed by orders to
integrate according to plans evolved
by the S. E. c. to dispose of leftover
properties as prescribed. and to re-
arrange the financial structure of
the integrated systems.
Associated Gas Proposals.
The holding company, under such
procedure, might be allowed to own
only common stock of the operatings
companies, it was said.
The Associated Gas & Electric
System already has made certain
new integration proposals to the
S. E. c.. these sources declared,
marking down an original plan for
an issue of $4,000 900 in new securi-
tires. to effect the integration, to
$26 900 900.
In addition, it was stated, the Re-
construction Finance Corp. has been
asked to loan the $26 900 900 to avoid
the complications of a new issue.
No indication has been made as to
whether the reported application for
loan would be approved, they said.
Faces Serious Problems.
The current associated system
integration plan. 1t was said, centers
about the Ny-Nj-Pa Co, but even
on that basis the company faces
serious problems involved in CO.
ordinating its Northern and South
ern Pennsylvania operating units,
which serve areas of differing
nature, and of linking in its New
Jersey properties. In addition, dis
posal of its Staten Island, Eastern
New York and Northern New York
properties involves other problems,
they said.
Information received here by
utility men, they declare, indicated
the possibility that the problems of
integrating Electric Bond g. Share
Co., and Standard Gas & Electric
Co. might be expected to follow.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
House Furnishings.

y HOuSe FurnISnIn&S.
The bureaus index for house fur
nishing prices in September 'or the
closest reported month in various
years also is reported as follows.
Evening star., 1939-12-10

89.7 on the 1887 date. 1t equaled
the figure for September, 1899.
The bureau has not compiled
September indexes in all years but
December figures have been SUBJ
stituted where necessary. The fol-
lowing table gives the trend in
mast wears.
Evening star., 1939-12-10

a decline between October and No.
vember, while this year there was
an increase
1t is probable that store shipments
to meet an expected Christmas buy
ing record have been an important
factor in the November express in
crease
November shipments tetaled 172,-
054 against l70.875 in the previous
month and l43,080 in November
1898.
Reach New Record.
Eleven month shipments climbed
to 1851 ,O43 against 1,484,63 in the
record 1888 period, or gain of 98
per cent. In establishing all-time
records, shipments for all of 1898
were approximately SO per cent
above the volume for 1929. In the
last II years, shipments here have
advanced steadily with only two ex-
ceptions, 1882 and 1888.
Shipments for the first II months
of 1899 and 1898 with percentage
changes are given below:
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Briggs Company
Declares Dividend;
Total Is Sis
McGruw Electric Co.
Orders Extro 75-Cent
Poyment on Common
BY the Associated Press.

DETROIT, Dec. 9.-Directors Of
Briggs Manufacturing Co., makers
OF automobile equipment, today or
dered a dividend of Is cents share,
payable December u to holders OF
record December 10. This payment
will raise the years total to $1.25
q share from 81 in 1898.
McGraw Electric Co.
NEW YORK, Dec. 9 (P).-Direc-
tors OF McGraw Electric Co. today
declared an extra dividend of Is
cents a share on common stock,
payable December q to holders Of
record December 18. Four regularly
quarterly payments of Is cents each
were made earlier this year Divi-
dends in 1888 totaled ST. The COM
pany manufactures appliances at
plants in St. Louis. Chicago and
Elgin, Ill.
Evening star., 1939-12-10
Washington Auto Sales Extend Recovery;
Gasoline Demand Holds High Levels
NOVEMBER AUTO REGISTRATIONS
COMPARED WITH OTHER YEARS

&C Toto Befors Deduction Of Tronse,s. September 80
kepo,t, Of Previous Seasons Used Beeouss 1899
Seosen Sto,ted Two Months Later
Evening star., 1939-12-10

(See INDUSTRY, Page E-2.)
Evening star., 1939-12-10
ALEXANDRIA,.
HYATTSVILIE.

November. IL
Evening star., 1939-12-10

From New York came word yes
terday that Henning Webb Prentis,
jr., president of the Armstrong Cork
Co., has been elected president of
Evening star., 1939-06-10
Framework Of Steel HELPS
In Basement Stair BuiIdino

In the remodeling of base
ment, new stairway may be quite
a problem. This detail is particu-
larly vexing if fire-safe stairway
is desired. or perhaps one of con-
crete to harmonic with the base
ment walls and floor.
Constructing either exterior or
interior concrete steps usually re-
quires elaborate wooden forms. also
an extensive I'LL to support the
structure-and there is danger that
concrete work laid over a fill will
ultimately crack and settle awk-
wardly
All these difficulties can be avoid
ed by constructing a light frame
work of slender steel plastering
channels and metal lath, bent
roughly to the shape of the stair
treads and risers. Constructing such
framework is the work of the
lathers. 1t does not necessarily re-
quire bolting or welding, All of the
connections can be tied with wire,
such as used by fathers in attach
ing metal lath to steel supports.
One side of the stair framework
can be attached to a basement wall
or both sides of it can be supported
by or inclosed with walls also
framed of light steel plastering
channels and metal lath.
Successive coats of Portland ce-
ment mortar troWeled onto the top
side and also the under side of the
Evening star., 1939-06-10
Metal Luth Advised
For Cracked CEILINGS

When the' living room ceiling
cracks badly, don't blame the plas-
tering The fault is almost certain
to be with the ordinary lath or sub
stitute base to which the plaster was
applied. Covering sucn a ceiling
with canvas will afford only tenn
porary relief-in a year or two the
ceiling will again appear rough and
ugly.
A better way is to cover the old
plastering with metal lath, driving
| long 8-penny or 10-penny nails Sc
curely through the old plastering
and lath and on into the supporting
joists. These nails should be spaced
not more than six inches apart.
Ribbed or self-furring metal lath
can be used. or self-furring nails will
take care OF that detail
Plaster applied to the metal lath
will produce permanently beautiful
ceiling one that will never be marred
by joist streaks.
Evening star., 1939-06-10

Ambassador and his family and
guest rooms. An archway between
supports the Ambassadors study
which connects the two buildings at
the second-floor level. The En-
bassy grounds on Massachusetts ave-
nue.. with its gardens, swimming
pool, tennis courts and garages,
covers more than "a acres.
The Embassy was built in 1890 to
replace the outgrown headquarters
at Connecticut avenue and N street
1t was completed in 1881 at a cost
of about $l,000,000. The exterior of
red brick, white stone trimming
with green shutters at the windows
is a typical 18th century English
manor house. The slate roofs are
high and steep; the numerous
chimneys of brick, tall and straight
Sid Edwin Lutyens, London, archi-
tect of the Embassy, enjoys an
enviable reputation in America and
abroad He is the designer of many
of England's finest modern estates
and public buildings, his govern
ment buildings in India and the
War Memorial in Whitehall. near
Westminster, London, are especially
well known. In 1925 the American
Institute of Architects, with impress
sive ceremonies, awarded him its
coveted gold medal for outstanding
achievement in architecture.
Evening star., 1939-06-10

stair framework will soon produce
a cement slab of the desired thick
ness, intensively reinforced with
metal lath and steel channels. Sim
liar plaster should be applied to
both sides of the metal lath on the
supporting wall or walls until the
steel channels are entirely imbedded
minimum thickness of 2 inches
Portland cement plaster should,
Of course, be protected against too
rapid drying while curing. When
ready for service. the structure will
be found remarkably rigid, fully
capable of withstanding the heavy
stresses and loads ordinarily i'm
posed upon basement stairs.
When space is limited a metal
lath and plaster stairway can be
constructed as spiral. with slen-
der steel column as the center sup
port. and eliminating the ornamen-
tai center.
Treads and rlsers can be finished
in different colors or textures. They
can be made to simulate stone, or
the stairway and the inclosing walls
can be made 10 resemble Italian
marble by using 4 finish coat Of
Keene's cement.