Evening star., 1942-03-24
Telephones and Calls
Set New Records
Here in February
330,37l Stations Up
1921 From End Of
Preceding Month
BY EDWARD c. STONE.

service and the average number O.
calls per day were broken IN Febru'
AIRY, company officials report.
Z With 330,37l stations in service
at the end of February, an increase
of 1921 was disclosed over January
as well as a gain of 4s,484 over Feb
ruary, 1e4l, when 1887 station!
were in use, the report states.
] The previous all-time peak II
number OF telephones was reached
IN January, while the former rec.
ord number of calls was also ir
that month. There has been
steady succession of new marks
kver since the present intense wal
activity really got under way.
/, There was, however, compare
lively little difference in the mum
ber Of calls per day in the first two
months Of the year. In January
daily calls averaged 1,582,139 and ir
February 1,582,768, an increase Of
e2s, the report reveals.
! Whirlwind Growth In 1941.
/. Details from the annual report
IL the telephone company reveal q
het gain of 46.598 telephones during
l94l, considerably more than the
total increase in 1899 and 1910 com
bined. The gain involved installing
l44,13l phones and removal OF 1888
Comparisons show that the G. &
p. companies in Maryland, Virginia
And West Virginia also experienced
boom conditions in 194l. Maryland
had a net gain in phones OF IS, PAT
Virginia 1928 and West Virginia
i343l. The Maryland company
spent 50 ,3os 900 for new construc-
ton and Virginia $ll,933,000.
Net earnings for interest and divi.
dends Of the Maryland company
Amounted to $3,00l,242; Virginia, te
s7,2s5,176, West Virginia. to ST.
299,73l.
Agriculture Loans Urged.
Virginia bankers were urged to be
more liberal with their loans te
Farmers in the Food for Free
dom" meeting held at Roanoke last
week. The speakers included G
Frank LEM, head of the Virginia
Bankers Association; Charles T
ONeill, chairman of the Virginia
Bankers Committee on Agriculture;
Porter Hardy, jr., chairman OF the
United States Department OF Agri-
cultures State War Board, and many
others.
! DR.. H. N. Young Of the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute outlined the
program and showed charts from
an A. B. A. manual. Several speak
ers said the farmers did not know
they could obtain money from the
banks.
Two big jobs for the banks are
the financing Of food production
and the extension of credit Tor
processing plants, speakers declared
They added that the loans which
the farmers need and seek are
sound.
Exchange Raises Commissions.
The Board of Governors OF the
washington Stock Exchange mas
voted to raise commission charges
for transactions on the exchange,
the new rates to go into effect on
April /, it was announced today.
This action follows a similar move
taken recently by the New York
Stock Exchange and put into effect
last week. The Chicago Stock Ex-
change and several Of the smaller
exchanges have also raised COM
missions.
, The action was taken after very
careful consideration. 1t is the first
time in many years that there has
been any revision in rates on the
Washington exchange.
: Morgan Called Into Navy.
: Charles Carroll Morgan, one Of the
managers of the Washington office
of Laidlaw g. Co., who has been a
member of the Naval Reserve for
many years, has been called to ac-
tive duty in the Navy.
Mr.. Morgan has been very active
In the financial district for a long
time. He has been connected with
several New York Stock Exchange
firms, is a former president OF the
washington Bond Club, member OF
the Chevy Chase Club and of sew
eral national patriotic societies.
Only a few days ago A. Harmer,
connected with the Washington
Office of j. C. Bache & Co., was
called into naval service Almost
every day sees some one in the
financial district join some branch
of the armed forces.
Girls Employed by Exchange.
For the first time in the history
n the brokerage business women are
working as employees on the floor of
a national stock exchange. San
Franciscos exchange Is the world S
first such mart to open its doors to
women workers.
According to Sidney L. Schwartz,
exchange president, 1T took a world
war, a lot of pressure and a few
trigger words before it was finally
accomplished. But today it is an
established fact. Women are work.
ing on the floor of the San Francisco
Stock Exchange as messengers,
board markers, clerks and recorders.
Total Payments IS Per Cent.
With the final dividend of 9.9 pei
cent, amounting to $830,000, the
$4,000 depositors of the former Fed
american National Bank &
Trust Co. will receive 849 per cent
of their original deposits, according
to Receiver Frank j. Hall. Fina
payments are starting this week al
Fourteenth and U streets NV.
Three previous dividends have
been paid, totaling IS per cent. Tht
total amount being returned to de-
positors is about 100000. Mr.
Hall is notifying depositors wher
to call for their checks and plan.
to end the receivership on May Is
After that date the uncalled fol
checks will be forwarded to the con
troller of the currency.
:. Exchange Volume Steps Up.
+: Business on the Washington Stool
l@11 LA& 80,