Evening star., 1943-04-07
Women Take Vital
Jobs in Industry
In Fifth District
Bank Survey Also Shows
Jump in Cash Sales
In Department Stores
By EDWARD C. STONE.

BY EDN AhD L. S1oNE.
Wo.len workers in large numbers
are moving into industries in which,
it has not been customary for them
to work in this Federal Reserve Dis
trict. and the trend IS toward al
acceleration of this move. the Rich
nlond Reserve Bank reported in the
March review out today.
Bassett Furniture Industries in
Virginia is employing women in two
of its five plants and will add 500
more in the near future. Women
are operating cranes at the Beth
lehem- -Fairchild Shipyard in Balti-
more. and the Virginia Electric g.
Power Co. has announced that
women streetcar and bus drivers will
soon appear.
These novel moves are in line
with the reserve bank report that
the manpower problem is at present
of greatest concern in fifth district
industries. The farm labor outlook,
however, is brighter. The Agricul-
ture Department questions claims
that less land will be titled this year
than last.
Store Sales for Cash Soar.
The report comments on sweeping
changes that have occurred in de-
partment store cash sales in relation
to charge sales payable in 30 days
and to those on installment Thirty
Il CT Etol>
1943, showed 81 per cent of their
sales for cash against only Al per
cent year ago.
Charge sales payable in 80 days
accounted to 80 per cent of the
February total this year against 40
per cent year ago, while INSTALL
ment sales accounted for only Z per
cent against II per cent a year ago.
The decline in the importance Of
installment sales is due to a dearth
of the things ordinarily sold on in
stallment, while the increase in
cash sales over 30-day credit sales
attests the plethora of pocket cash,
the bank review says.
Commenting on the 43 per cent
gain in department store sales in
February, the report states that the
clothing rationing scare" in the
middle of the month found its
greatest reflection in Maryland with
a A per cent gain over January and
a 50 per cent jump over February,
1912.
Bond Drive Support Pledged.
Representatives of 81 of the 25
member associations in the District
Building and Loan League have
pledged full support to the selling
of s70.000,000 United States securi-
ties IN Washington during the COM
ing War bond drive, Edward c.
Baltz, chairman for the building
and loan associations, reported to-
day.
The representatives, meeting at
the Capitol Park Hotel, not only
pledged the purchase of several
million War bonds for their own
portfolios, but will also advertise
the drive extensively. The guest
speaker at the rally held yesterday
was Maj, Francis Clarke of the
Treasury Department.
Chairman Baltz appointed Ed
ward L. McAlear, secretary of the
Equitable Cooperative Building As
socia.ion; Carl H. Ellington, execu-
tive vice president, First Federal
Savings & Loan, and Edward K.
Jones, secretary, Interstate Build
ing, to work out the campaign de-
tails
Bankers to Attend Council.
Washington will be we'll represent =
ed at the American Bankers Asso-
cations meeting of the Executive
Council, which opens in New York
next Sunday and continues through
Wednesday.
This is the most important meet
Ing of members of the association
during the year, EXCEPT the annual
session in the fall. Only members
of the Council ard Of important
committees attend the sessions. War
problems in finance will draw the
most attention.
Those who will attend from the
District include Robert V. Fleming.
president of Riggs National and A
former president of the ABA:
Charles H. Doing. vice president of
the Washington Loan & Trust Co..
who represents the District Bankers
Association on the Council; Francis
G. Addison. jr., president. Security
Savings & Commercial, and member
OF several national committees.
Wilmer j. Waller, vice president and
cashier Hamilton National. Also on
national committees: D. j. Needham
general counsel of the ABA, and
j. o. Brott, assistant counsel.