Evening star., 1942-04-17
D. {. Sales Trail t94t
Due 10 Difference
In Easter Dates
d Per Cent Decrease
Reported by Richmond
Reserve Bonk
Ry EDWARD c. STONE.

out Easter trade, department store
sales In Washington for the week
ended last Saturday, April IL. re-
vealed a decrease OF 4 per cent from
the like period year ago, the Fed
.eral Reserve Bank OF Richmond re-
ported today. Easter was a week
earlier this year than last.
The end OF Easter buying caused
a drop in retail trade in the fifth
district from the comparable period
a year ago, averaging l3 per cent.
Baltimore trade was down % per
cent and a group Of other reporting
cities announced trade was of Il
per cent from the same week In l94l.
Naturally. department store sales
were much slower than in the preVl-
Gus week this year which ended on
April 4. being down Is per cent in
Washington, 20 per cent in the NTH
district 80 IN Baltimore and 35 in
the other cities.
In the four-week period ending
April IL. cumulative sales IN the
Capital we're q per cent ahead of
last year. gained % per cent In the
fifth district. IS in Baltimore and
IA in the other reporting cities, the
survey states.
THE week under review is the first
one this year in which store sales
have not been far ahead OF l94l,
one weekly advance reaching 66 per
cent. The week OF final Easter
trade was u per cent better than
q year ago.
Prudential I3 Years Old.
To-day marks the 18th anniversary
of the establishment of the Pruden-
tisl Building Association and the
latest statement OF condition re-
leased discloses resources OF S4.4OO'-
600 with a surplus and reserve ac-
count in excess of SEAS 900.
Although comparatively young IN
years. the Prudential pioneered IN
the development of the suburban
district contiguous to Washington
and was the second association IN
the city to become a member OF the
Federal Savings and Loan insurance
Corn. an instrumentality OF the
Government which insures all snare
accounts up to $4,000.
Most OF the officers and directors
have been with the association since
its inception. Luther c, Steward
has served continuously as presl-
dent. with Curtis Walker and John
b. Colpoys, vice presidents; Elmer
], Carlson, secretary treasurer, Z.
H. Boyse, assistant secretary treas
urer. and Harvey l.. Cobb, attorney.
Directors include T. Howard
puckett. Thomas E. Hampton,
Thomas D. Lewis. F. Eliot Middle
ton. william P. AmeS and the ofn-
GERS.
Home Financing of Slightly.
Home financing in the District OF
Columbia In February amounted 10
a, 4,205 900, with a total OF soI
mortgages being recorded, the Fed
eral Home Loan Bank, Adminlstra-
tion announced today. These flgures
compare with non-farm mortgage
recordings totaling $500 900 in jan
uary and $4,267 900 in February
year ago. .,o,,.
Building and loan associations
made 325 loans, amounting 10
81. TAI 900; insurance companies, as
for 1921 900; banks and trust COM
panies. AZ, for s35o0O0; individuals,
2e4, for $4,000. and others, 49, tor
$685.. 900.
Home financing in Maryland
towns and cities during February
amounted to $6.426 900, with total
of 2.O55 mortgages being recorded.
These figures compare with non
farm mortgage recordings amount
ing to s5l67 900 in January and
"a 66S. 900 in February year ago.
Home financing in Virginia towns
and cities during February amounted
TO s6.Ool 900, with total of 2429
mortgages being recorded, compared
with on-farm mortgage recordings
amounting to $5,868 900 in January
and s5,esS 900 in February a year
ago.
Southern Rail Incomes Up.
Seventeen Glass / railroads, repre-
senting 649 per cent OF total operat-
ing revenues in the Southern dis
trict. had estimated operating rev.
enues in March of $40 ,e6e, 1853 COM
pared with SSS o94, ,785 in March,
+ le4l. or an increase of Sl.2 per cent
Freight revenues in March
amounted to $4l,0l4,l9S compared
with ssl sl.24S.I53 in March, ls4l, or
an increase of 3l3 per cent.
Passenger revenues in March
totaled s6.09o,971 compared with $4'-
1877 O6l in March. l94l, an increase
of 46.2 per cent.
National Headquarters Moved.
Headquarters of the National AS
sociation of Securities Dealers nave
been moved from Washington TO
Philadelphia because of the Gov
ernment'S need for office space IN
the Capital and the desire OF Of
ficials to be in close touch with the
securities and Exchange CommlS-
sion. Wallace H. Fulton is executive
manager.
The office of District No. II of the
association has been moved from
washington to the Calvert Building
in Baltimore. The district office
covers Washington. Maryland, Vlr-
cinia. West Virginia and North
Carolina. Martin J. Bayly is the
field secretary.
Financial District Comment.
The Treasury reports that sales
Of War savings bonds so far this
month have pushed the grand total
over the 5000, 100000 mark. At the
end of March sales had reached S4,-
S5S. .s4S. 900 since last May.
Bankers in Chicago yesterday
we're urged 10 continue making as
many nstsllment loans as present
Government restrictions permit,
More and more diverSiicauon OF
loans was also advocated.
New life insurance policies. written
In Virginia in le4l averaged S2.SIS,
compared with the average OF S2,ool
in Washington, the highest average
purchase in the United States.
ID. c. Exchange More Active.
RuSineSS was better on the WASH