Evening star., 1940-02-07
Richmond Bank Cites
1889 Building Gain
In Washington
Years TotuI Climbs
66 Per Cent; December
Activity Logs
By EDWARD C. STONE.

$2,093, 900 in December, 1888, a drop
of / per cent, but for the full year
1889 amounted to $77,l75,o00, COM
pared with SAC, 6,437 900 in 1888, a
sharp gain of 66 per cent, the Fed
eral Reserve Bank of Richmond s
January review announced today.
Turning 10 permits issued, the
Richmond bank stated that WASH
ington, with building permits. aggre-
eating S2,42O,925 in December, 1899,
led all other cities in the Fifth Re-
serve District by a wide margin,
Baltimore ranking second and Nor
folk third. The report is compiled
for the review by F. w. Dodge Corp.
Permits in 81 cities in December
totaled S5,280.866, which was Al per
cent under the November mark and
81 per cent below the total for De-
cember, 1888, of S8,387 ,203.
Looking at the years record, how
ever, permits issued in 1889 in 81
cities amounting to $119,497, ,619
show an increase of 35 per cent over
permits valued at $88, ,609,4 ,426 in 1888.
Nineteen of the 81 cities showed a
higher total than in 1888.
District of Columbia permits for
1899 totaled SAG, ,776,379, against $685.
600, ,428 in 1888, the figures not in
cluding Federal buildings.
d. c. Automobile Sales Soar.
Final figures on automobile sales
in Washington for the year 1889
reveal an advance of 43 per cent,
against Al per cent for the fifth dis
trict. The number of new passenger
car registrations in Washington in
1889 reached 25,637, against 1894 in
1888.
Sales in December alone in the
District of Columbia totaled 2,1l6,
against 21,148 in the previous year,
off l per cent, the Richmond bank
says.
Sales in Maryland in December
totaled 1896 new cars, against 3,427
in December, 1888, gain of 8 per
cent, while sales for the entire year
1889 in Maryland totaled 39,389, as
compared with 1881 in 1888, an
increase of A per cent.
Virginia sales in December to-
tailed $3.50, compared with 3,766 new
cars in December, 1888, a gain of
2 per cent. Sales for the whole year
1889 amounted to 42,172, in COM
parison with 31,204 in 1888, a jump
of IS per cent.
Total sales in the whole fifth dis
trict reached 20l ,4l3, an advance
of Al per cent over the 142 .632 new
car sales registered in 1888.
Bank Debts Up Per Cent.
Debts to individual accounts in
Washington banks in 1889 totaled
S3,173, 685, 600, against S2,966 804, 900,
an increase of per cent. Debts
in December totaled 1901 10000,
rise of / per cent over the same
month in the previous year.
Debts in 25 fifth district cities
in December rose per cent over
December, 1888, and in the calendar
year we're 6 per cent ahead of 1888.
With one exception, debts in these
cities we're higher in every month
in 1899 than in 1888, the report
stated
Sales in 81 department stores for
December in the fifth district to-
tailed s19,l61,614, compared with
sl8,410,346 in December, 1888,
stepping up of 7 per cent.
Sales of 1863 wholesale firms in
December amounted to S9,306,000,
against s8,818,000 in December, 1888,
a rise of 6 per cent.
Tobacco Sales Soar.
Tobacco sales in the fifth dis
trict in December were 163 per cent
higher than in December, 1888, while
dollar receipts to growers in the
same month were 1913 per cent bet
ter than in the same month in the
previous year, the review said.
The Richmond Bank says the pur-
chasing power of farmers in the
fifth district was appreciably higher
than in the previous year, this fact
accounting in part for the good
results shown in distributive lines
of trade.
There were 10 per cent fewer busi-
ness failures in December, 1899, than
in the like 1888 period, and a drop of
AZ per cent in the liabilities involved
In these failures, the Richmond bank
noted
December cotton consumption was
up Is per cent in December and the
price showed an advance of q per
cent over December, 1888, the sum-
mary stated.
Association Has Fine Year.
The 68th annual report of the
American Building Association, just
distributed, announces an increase
in assets during the year of 81 ,432,-
524; LOOP persons opened new ac-
counts with the association and
there was net gain of 356 in the
number of investing members.
Earnings we're sufficient to pay
dividends at the rate of q per cent,
$4O2 1922 being added to the accounts
of shareholders on February l. The
financial statement shows that there
was a net gain of 262 borrowing
members during the year and over
S3,OO0,000 was loaned to SAL borrow
ers in Washington and the metro
politan area.
Wilfred H Blanz, secretary, re-
ports that assets on February to-
tailed S12,534985 more than Sl1 ,000,-
600 being invested in first mortgage
loans.
Sanitary District Asks Bids.
Washington Suburban Sanitary
District, Md, will offer at competi-
tive bidding on February 16, 100000
water and sewer bonds dated March
l and due 1941-1980 Bidders are
asked to name a coupon of "a per
cent.
Voters of al communities in 10
States during the month of Janu-
ary authorized new bond f1otations
totaling SASH ,164, as compared with
$2,056,392 in January of 1899, &C
cording to the Daily Bond Buyer.
William McC. Martin, jr., presi-
dent of the New York Stock EX-
change, is one of the list of Is best
dressed men in the United States