Evening star., 1943-04-08
Striking Gains Noted
In Many Wholesale
Lines in February
Bank Survey DiscIoses
D. G. Retail Furniture
Sales Under Year Ago
By EDWARD c. STONE.

SoIes Under lear Ago
By EDWARD c. STONE.
Sales of 235 wholesale firms in the
Fifth Federal Reserve District in
February ran per cent ahead of
the like month year ago, with to-
bacco and tobacco products scoring
a 40 per cent gain and dry goods a
43 per cent advance, the Richmond
Reserve Bank has just reported.
Wholesale drugs and sundries re-
corded jump Of 18 per cent in
sales over February, 1912. the de-
mand for electrical goods was 81
! per cent better than last year and
groceries sales were up Is per cent,
the report disclosed.
Not all wholesale lines. however,
showed gains, the demand for au-
ton1obile supplies being down IS
per cent, and sales of shoes 13 per
cent, although 33 per cent ahead of
January. Hardware sales were off
10 per cent, industrial supplies II
per cent, and paper and paper prod
ucts % per cent. Miscellaneous sales
of 81 stores were per cent lower
than year ago, the monthly re-
view said.
Turning from wholesale to retail
business. the Richmond Bank re-
ported that furniture sales in Wash
ington in six leading stores were l9
per cent lower than in February,
1912. and off 81 per cent in the first
Two months of the year. Maryland
sales were down 81 per cent, Vir-
ginia's per cent, while the aver
age for "a furniture stores in the
fifth district showed a IA per
cent decrease from February, 1912
Loan Association 81 Today.
Officers of the Enterprise Build
ing Association today took notice
of the 5lst anniversary of the
founding of the organization on
April s, 1892 Present resources, ac-
cording to the latest statement, are
IN excess of s2,5O0,O0O.
Michael A. Keane is president of
the institution with George I. Bor-
ger. executive vice president; Fred
Klaus, vice president: Martin A.
Cook, secretary; P. F. Hannah,
treasurer, and Francis j. Hayes, as
sistant secretary.
Directors: Bernard R. Edwards,
Maurice Fitzgerald, Cecil F. Gibson,
Ralph A. Judd, Frank J. Torrens
and Messrs. Berger, Cook, Hannah,
Keane and Kraus.
BIZ Proposed for Banks.
The bill recently introduced by
Senator Thomas of Oklahoma,
amending the Federal Bank Rob-
berry Statute to cover larceny by
trick, is now before the Senate Ju-
dietary Committee.
The bill adds new subsection
to the statute to make it Federal
CRIME for any person not being
entitled to the possession of prop
erty, or money or anything of value
IN the custody of a bank, to at
tempt to carry such property away
without the consent of such bank,
or with the consent of such bank
obtained by the offender by any
trick or false representation.
Conversion of such property to
the use of an individual or an as
sociation is punishable by a heavy
fine, or imprisonment, or both, the
bill, says.
d. c. Controllers Honored.
Three Washington members of the
Controllers Institute of America have
been appointed to the Reception
Committee which will welcome del
egates to the war conference in Phil
adelphia, on April II and u.
They are Ralph E. Heitmuller,
controller of the Acacia Mutual Life
Insurance Co.; F. Charles Brown,
controller of the National Geo.
graphic Society. and o. H. Ritenour,
controller Of the Washington Gas
Light Co. Other Washington con-
trollers will also attend the session.
The conference is being held by
the controls in II Eastern cities, in
Guiding Washington and Baltimore.
Federal income taxes, the proposed
Withholding of funds for taxes from
wages and salaries, the 49-hour week
and renegotiation and termination
of contracts highlight the program.
Home Buying Shows Pickup.
The fight on imitation. from the
angle of money saved instead of
spent, is making better progress
than most casual observers would
realize, the meeting of the Federal
Section Committee of the United
States Savings and Loan League in
Chicago yesterday brought to light.
Attending the meeting was Clarence
E. Kefauver of Washington. New
money from savers and investors
has demonstrated their interest in
fighting imitation on the home front
The meeting revealed a pickup in
the demand for money to buy ex-
isting homes.
Members of the committee also
pointed out that borrowers on
homes are paving off their loans
more rapidly than scheduled in
great many cases.
Quarterly Dividend Declared.
Directors Of the Washington Loan
& Trust Co. have declared a quar-
terly dividend of 2 per cent. payable
on May to stockholders of record
April %, President Harry E. Mean
announced today.
The House Banking Committee
has favorably reported the Senate
passed war loan deposit account bill.
The bill would exempt war loan de-
posit accounts from deposit insur-
ance assessments and from reserve
requirements. The bill means sub