Evening star., 1943-03-12
Pepco Reports Sales
IS Per Cent Above
1912 in February
TotoI of 103,038,22O
kilowutt Hours Trolls
Previous Month
Bv EDWARD STONE

Columbia tOtaled l03, ,038 .220 kllOWat &
hours, compared with 1882 ,923 ir
February. 1912, an increase of 49,
685 ,297 hours, or jump of 1882 pei
cent. With the exception of foul
other months, February was the best
month for total sales on record.
General sales scored the best per-
centage gain, 1647. These sales
totaled 1851 $50 XVIII, an advance
Of l2,674,946 over the same period 9
year ago Railroads and railways
used 11,l13,654 XVIII, an increase Of
9.28 per cent. Sales for street ano
highway lighting were up 296 pei
cent
Sales were slightly under January
when they totaled 106;18419 kilo.
watt hours.
Wholesale Trade Above 1912.
Wholesale trade of 221 firms in the
Fifth Federal Reserve District, in.
cluding Washington, was 3 per cen'
higher in January this year thar
last, with sub,tantial increases ir
shoes, dry goods and tobacco pro-
ducts offsetting losses in sales Of
automobiles and industrial supplies
according to the Reserve Bank Of
Richmond's latest review.
January shoe sales were up SO pei
cent over January, 1912; dry goods
sales scared 36 per cent and tobacco
and tobacco products q per cent
Drug sales gained 10 per cent, elec-
trical goods per cent and gro
ceries 8 per cent over the same
month year ago.
At the same time auto supplies
sales tumbled "a per cent, hard.
ware "a per cent and ipdustria
supplies IT per cent. Paper anc
paper products and miscellaneous
sales of 73 wholesale firms were
down 9 per cent, respectively. Tht
same wholesale concerns reported
large inventory reductions from
January, 1912, the average for thu
22l firms being % per cent.
Turning to retail trade, the re.
view says that furniture sales il
seven big stores In Washington il
January were 81 per cent lower
than year ago and off per cen
from December. Sales of 81 store.
in the Fifth District were off IL pei
cent from January. 1912, and 80 PEI
cent from December.
Utility Net Earnings Mount.
Net earnings of the Capitals foul
big utility corporations scored sub.
stantial gains in January, accord
ing to statements filed with tn,
Public Utilities Commission.
The Chesapeake & Potomac Tele
phone Co. reported the largest gain
the net income of s237.71O beins
s73,454 higher than a year ago. TIL.
company had a s269,7 TAO tax bill
against s180.037 in January, 1912
The Washington Gas Light Co. re.
ported gain in earnings of 41.877
net income amounting to $3.50, O,88:
against s209,006 year ago.
The Potomac Electric Power CO
reported net revenues Of 1895, ,667. Al
an increase of $29, ,666.l2 over Janu
ary, 1912. Taxes were up $131 597.
The Capital Transit Co. had s
net income of s137 .9Ol OF. an increase
of Sl178997. The report showee
S554,790 set aside for taxes, a 2Ot
per cent increase
War Insurance Limit Raised.
The maximum limits of wal
damage insurance on money anC
securities in various forms of cover.
age have been increased by the Wa
Damage Corp. in memorandum re.
Gently issued.
The previous maximum limit O.
100000 on money in transit an<
outside the bank vaults (coverage D
is increased to s5000.000. and tn,
previous limit of S10.0000OO OF
securities in transit (coverage d. l.
raised to $4,000 900.
District banks recently have
taken out good deal of this typ.
of protection.
Brokerage Offices Crowded.
Attendance in the stock exchange
Offices in the Capital has been grow
ing daily until standing room Is ir
demand around the opening anc
at the noon hour.
The jump to 100000 share days
from 0,000-share sessions ha!
about quadrupled interest in the
stock market. Today's early trading
drew very large attendance Of
traders and investors interested ir
both the blue chips" and the
penny shares"
The visit of Emil Schram, presi-
dent of the New York Stock Ex-
change, to Washington was a sur.
prise. After luncheon with Presi-
dent Roosevelt, he said the market
was not excited, was not absorbing
any OF the Nations credit, and was
in healthy condition. \
Money Sets New Record.
The Treasury has announced that
money in circulation as of February
28 crossed the $4,000 900 900 marx
Tor the first time in the country's
history. The gain came chiefly In
circulation of Federal Reserve notes
and in Federal Reserve Bank notes
Mergenthaler Linotype sold at AZ
in Boston yesterday, the highest that
the stock has sold on any exchange
during the present advance. 1t has
oeen active on the Boston Exchange
for years.
Six hundred shares of Washington
Gas Light common sold on the New
York exchange yesterday at TIA, of
fractionally
Traction IS Again Strong.
Capital Traction SIS were strong or
the Washington Stock Exchange
again today, two $1,000 transfers
taking place at lo57s, off from yes
terday's yearly high at LOG.
Washington Gas Light S. pre-
ferred stock sold at 10l, off half a
point.