Evening star., 1944-12-21
Business Briefs

Bank Clearings in the week ended
December 20 totaled S12508. STA 900
VS.. S10,209 557 900 in the previous
week and S10,88l ,527 900 in the like
1943 week, reported Dun & Brad
street. Inc.
Gasoline Stocks totaled 82,747 900
barrels on December Is VS.. 80,880, 900
a week earlier and II $50 900 a year
ago, the American Petroleum In
stitute announced
Fire Insurance in force in this
country stands at around S90,000.-
100000, more than twice the amount
at the end of the last war, New York
Trust Co. stated in its quarterly re-
port. Cost to policyholders has de-
clined about 40oo since 1921. Losses
for II months ended October 81 to-
tailed S420,360 900, largest since 1881
Winter Wheat has a good start
said the Agriculture Department in
forecasting harvest of 761, ,591 ,00C
bushels, based on December l con-
ditions. This indicates that, with
the spring wheat crop added. the
Nation may have another billion
bushel harvest in 1916
Lower Egg Prices in Maryland
were announced by the OPA as re-
suit of increased production The
decrease will remain effective until
production falls off.
Markets Will Close in this country
and abroad on Christmas Day and
New Year Day and some will close
on Saturdays preceding the holi-
days. The New York Stock Ex-
change will operate on the Satur-
days.
National Supply Co. will retire the
balance of its $6,OOO,0OO 1O-year
serial bank loan, in the amount of
S2,612 500 on December %. This will
wipe out all debt for the first time
since 1890, when the firm acquired
Spang. Chalfant q Co., Inc.
Graham-Paige Motors Corp. re-
ported war production scheduled Tor
the next six months exceeds total
volume for all of 1914, when about
s50,000000 worth of armament was
produced.
Masonite Corp. earned S317 .209 or
46 cents a share in 3 months ended
November 80. compared with $780,
555 or Al cents in the same 1943
period
International Telephone e. Tele-
graph Co. for months ended Sep
tember 80 was $6.184,191 VS.. 1924
542 a year ago. Earnings or losses
OF subsidiaries in enemy or enemy
controlled companies were not in
cluded.
Transc0ntinental e. Western Air,
Inc, operated 1896 ,283 passenger
miles in November, a gain of 41.6%
over a year ago. Mail poundage was
1910 above year ago, while ex-
press volume was up 81 oe.
United Air Lines mail volume in
November was 45"o above year ago,
while express poundage was up 1870.
Remington Rand, Inc, notified
the SEC it sold s6,000.0o0 of go de-
bentures to two insurance COM
panies to provide additional work.
ing capital and replace S4.7200 900
used recently to redeem 46,675 pre-
ferred shares.
Thatcher Mfg. Co. received a So
000.0GJ 15-year loan from Mutual
Life Insurance Co. of New York
South Carolina Power Co. plan to
issue $8,oO0.0oo of 3O-year first and
refunding bonds and $4,000. 900 of in
stallment promissory notes will be
considered by the SEC January 4.
Sinclair Prairie Oil Co. announced
liquidation of Sinclair Prairie Oil
Marketing Co., subsidiary, and
transfer of all assets to the parent
company.
Virginia Electric e. Power Co.
agreement with Virginia Transit Co.
on operation of transit lines at
Richmond, Norfolk and Petersburg
which were purchased recently by
the latter, was approved by the Vir-
ginia Corporation Commission.
United Gas Corp. declared an ini-
tlal dividend of Is cents a common
snare. payable January 81.