Evening star., 1941-02-06
Construction in 1910
Sets AlItime Record
In Fifth District
Contracts Awarded
Exceed 1889 Total
By SO Per Cent
BY EDWARD c. STONE.

BY EDWARD c. STONE.
Construction work in the fifth
Federal Reserve district in 1910
set an alltime record of $520,417 900
In contracts actually awarded, an
increase of Is per cent over the
previous high of $451, 100000 for
1928, and SO per cent above the 1889
total, the Federal Reserve Bank of
Richmond reports in the January
Review.
Permits issued in December, 1940
totaled So, 8,359,191, an increase of So
per cent over S. ,280 1866 in December,
1899. Washington led all fifth dis
trict cities with $4,137 ,030, Baltimore
was second with S1,173,774, Norfolk
third with $897,578, Charlotte fourth
with $308,094, and Richmond fifth
with $214,864.
Examination of the annual record
shows permits issued in 1910 to the
amount of $127 1893 10l, an increase
of Sc per cent over s119 .497 ,614 in
1899. Washington led for the year
with permits totaling S43'75l, ,l8O,
and this Is exclusive OF Federal
Government work for which per-
mits are not taken out in the Dis
trict of Columbia. The Washing
ton 1889 total was $49,776,379.
Construction contracts awarded
In the fifth district in December
reached the record figure of $780,
$4,000. and was the largest amount
reported for any of the II Federal
Reserve districts. A few large de-
fense contracts for industrial build
irgs account for much of the total,
which is 351 per cent above awards
totaling s22 ,358,0OO in December,
1889.
Automobile Sales Mount.
The review says that automoblle
sales in December in the fifth dis
trict exceeded December, 1899, by
Al per cent. In the full calendar
year sales were up 81 per cent and
lacked only per cent OF equaling
the peak established in 1929.
Sales in Washington in Decem-
Der, according to the R. L. Polk
figures. numbered 2,622 new passen-
ger cars, a gain of "a per cent over
December, 1889, and in t hefun year
Numbered 29,170. against 25,637
Mar ago, or a gain of IA per cent.
MARYLAND reported yearly advance
o6 80 per cent and Virginia 81 per
cent.
1.-THE feature of automobile re-
tailing in 1910 was the way in
which sales held up in the second
half of the year, due to the in
Creased income of car buyers and
the fear that new cars might be
limited in number by spring because
df possible restrictions in the
amount OF steel available.
fused cars also moved unusually
well during 1910, the review adds.
Check Activity Very Heavy.
THE Richmond Bank states that
debts to individual accounts, re-
fikcting check transactions through
the banks, in % fifth district cities,
rise II per cent in 1910 over the
1889 total.
For the second successive year,
Newport News, with rise of 80 per
cent in 1s4G over the preceding year,
led all cities in percentage gain.
due to the large increase in pay
rolls at the shipyard in that city.
All three reporting cities in the
Hampton Roads areas. Norfolk,
Newport News and Portsmouth, re-
feet in their debts the great ac-
tivity in shipbuilding and in the
necessity for additional housing
arising from a large influx Of
workers, and Baltimore, Charleston,
S. c.; Columbia, and Charleston,
w. Va, also show either direct or
indirect influences of the defense
program.
iSDebits in Washington in 1910
totaled s3,47o,O46, 900, against So
1855, 900 in 1899, an increase Of
S,per cent. Washington bank debts
Ii December amounted to S339, ,473.-
900, as compared with 1901 ITO, 900
u December, 1889, jump Of IL per
cent.
Employment Moves Upward.
Employment in industry in the
nth district rose per cent during
te40, while pay rolls rose about 10
Der cent, the greater increase in
Day rolls being partly due to longer
hpurs of work available for certain
PEOPLE.
From November to December the
number on pay rolls in the District
of Columbia increased by GA per
cent and the total amount Of pay
rolls moved up 80 per cent, the re-
view says.
Sales in 30 department stores in
the fifth district in December alone
amounted to s20,927,121, a gain of
10 per cent over last year. Sales
Of furniture were up II per cent
and sales of 178 wholesale firms
were IA per cent better than a year
ago. There were seven fewer busi-
ness failures, although liabilities
were up 63 per cent over December
. year ago.
During the year 1910 loans and
discounts in Al member reporting
banks rose 13 per cent, reserve bal
ances at the reserve bank rose 81
per cent and demand deposits 20
per cent, the Richmond Review
concludes.
New Cars to Cost S525,000.
The Capital Transit Co. today
asked authority of the Public Utili-
ties Commission for the purchase of
80 more streamlined street cars OF
the one-man type. at cost of ap-
proximately S525,000. The company
Is anxious to order the new cars
lust as soon as possible.
Washington banks will again fur
nish funds for the purchase of the
cars, President E. D. Merrill stated
in the application. The plan Of bor-
rowing from the banks will be similar
to that used for several years, Mr.
Merrill said.
These 80 new cars will bring to a
total OF 252 the number OF stream
lined cars purchased since the
merger, at total cost of $4,269 ,122
and will provide sufficient so-called
Presidents Conference Committee