Evening star., 1944-01-22
Business Briefs
Chain Store Sales in l943 were

Chain Store Sales in 19l3 were .8%
above the preceding year, with vol
umes Of 80 leading companies total.
ing $5,068 1850, ,129 against $5,029 ,532,
$50 in 1912, announced Childs, JET
fries & Thorndike, Inc. Compared
with 1912, apparel chains scored a
gain Of 1862; drug chains, 1l.4%
variety chains, 4.6%; grocery chains
38%. Mail order chains Jagged 6.2%
behind and shoe chains showed a
decline Of 1897.
Higher Wholesale Prices in the
week ended yesterday were reflected
by the Associated Press index of IS
staples, which stood at 106.41% OF
the 1925 average, compared with
106.10 week earlier and 10453 a
year ago. Individual commodities
advancing were turpentine, eggs
lamb, cotton and wheat. Rye de-
clined.
An Alltime High for Oyster Prices
was set at Crisfield, Nd, where 81 a
bushel was paid for shell-stock BIZ
valves. Hard crab prices reached a
new peak of $l8 a barrel.
Lower Quicksilver Prices are re-
sulting from increased production
which has boosted Government re-
serves to an estimated two-year
supply. Trade sources reported that
in few days prices have dropped
as much as $40 a flask of 76 pounds
bringing them to a wartime low of
$3.50 flask.
State and Municipal Financing in
the coming week will remain at low
levels because of the Fourth War
Loan drive. The Daily Bond Buyer
said $6,372 1903 of new issues were
scheduled, compared with 5000 500
in the current week.
Construction Contracts awarded
during l943 in 81 States east of the
Rocky Mountains totaled $3,273 $780,
900, a drop of 609o from the record
of s8,255, ,061 900 in the previous year
declared F. w. Dodge Corp.
Caterpillar Tractor Co. earned
$8,l95, ,464 in the year ended Decem-
ber 81, compared with $7,0O2,44 in
the previous year. Sales totaled
sl73,945, ,023 against $142, 2,168,8 $50 in
1912.
Mueller Brass Co. earned s1,037,
952 or 1891 a share in the fiscal year
ended November 80, after tentative
provision for renegotiation, COM
pared with a revised net of s934,875
or 1882 a share in the previous pc
riod.
Monroe Auto Equipment Co
earned $507 1892 or s346 a share in
the year ended June 30, 1943, COM
pared with $340,667 or s232 a share
in the previous year.
Erie Railroad revenues in l943 to-
tailed s157 ,893.2 .223, a gain of l84qo
over 1912, President Robert E.
Woodruff disclosed Revenue ton
miles of freight totaled 1897 ,O0O,-
900, a jump of 26ec, while military
travel boosted passenger miles to
597 ,2l3,000, or 41fe above 1912 Fed
eral income and excess profits taxes
totaled s17,549,958 against s10,7l7,-
$50 in 1912.
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in
l943 accomplished a s72 ,339 450 re-
duction in system bonds and notes
outstanding in the hands of the pub
lie, excluding equipment issues,
President Roy Barton White said
Operation Of the sinking fund under
the 1888 plan accounted for $685.
654 ,050 of the cut.
Sprague Warner Kenny Corp. OF
Chicago and Baltimore announced
purchase Of stock control in Western
Grocery Co., Marshalltown, Iowa, OF
which Marshall Canning Co. is a
wholly owned subsidiary. President
Nathan Cummings Of Sprague War
ner-Kenny said his firm paid sl7.5C
a share for the stock, but declined to
reveal how many shares were pur-
chased