Evening star., 1949-12-25
Christmas Shopping
Season Here Called
Heaviest in History
But Lost-Minute Crowds
Downtown Show Drop
a.
Over Lost Few Weeks

thousands OF harr1ed last
shoppers made the final
trip to Washington's downtown
stores yesterday, winding up a
Christmas shopping season pro-
claimed by store officials as the
heaviest in history.
Despite the closing of most Of
fees and the fine Christmas eve
weather. however. the typical
December "a downtown pilgrimage
represented a sharp fall in crowds
Of the last few days.
There was no difficulty getting
through any of the big stores re.
volving doors. Inside, crowds con
gregated in force around counter
selling ready-made gifts and toys
but left many departments almos1
empty. And for the first time ir
weeks, visiting small fry had only
short waits outside the headquar-
ters of Santa Claus.
At one store counter, woman
clerk selling women's gifts stopped
a moment to ask, why do men
always wait till the last minute
to do their shopping?"
Store Reports Letdown.
There was no answer from the
crowd surrounding the counter.
They were all men.
The official of a women's special
ty shop said there was complete
letdown in buying, not at all usual
for Christmas eve," but she had
no explanation for the drop.
Package-laden pedestrians in
dicated the crowd-if not of rec
ord d-breaking proportions-at least
was a buying one.
Most of yesterdays buyers ap-
parently took the purchases with
them. according to the delivery
superintendent of one store. All
packages on hand were sent out
by mid-afternoon. he said, despite
a heavier delivery load than last
year.
Home deliveries to Virginia, he
said, increased sharply after the
District sales tax went into effect
in August. A 10 per cent increase
to suburban residents of that
State was noted the first month
after the new tax went into effect,
Higher Volume Seen.
The store officials unanimously
predicted the seasons buying vol
ulme will be found higher than last
years record totals. The volume,
they said, must be considerably
higher If stores are to meet 1948
income, because Of general price
reductions estimated at 6 to 9 per
cent this year.
With extra days on hand be.
cause of the week end holiday,
crowds during the day continued
to pour into and out of the city.
Officials at Union Station. where
the huge concourse was crowded
early yesterday, said extra-sec-
ton trains were being scheduled
through much Of the afternoon.
City Postmaster Roy M. North
said mail and parcel bins yester-
day were remarkably clear" by
midday. with indications that
most Yuletide gifts and cards will
arrive on time.
Post offices will be closed today,
with only parcel-post deliveries
scheduled for today and tomorrow.
The Benjamin Franklin and air.
port stations will open tomorrow
on q Sunday schedule. but only to
handle parcel post, registered
mail and the sale of stamps
Radio Station WRC reported
that more than $4,000 toys were
collected during the pre-holiday
season by Bill Herson's doll
House" at Eleventh and g streets
NV.
At Jim Gibbons WMAL collec-
ton center in front OF the Capitol
Theater, food received for needy
families Of the area included a.
600 items Of canned goods and
more than 1000 pounds Of meat,
in addition to several thousand
toys.