Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-10-31
WASTE, IN iaLExANDRIa.
Correspondent Urges city spgsaEe
Greater Use of Its Facilities I
-. Communicated: }

Cut out the waste which is the pres
ent day cry OF all far sighted business
men UNTIL recently raw material
was SO abundant and the. natural re-
sources of our country seemed to
great, men thought them absolutely
inexhaustible. The fallacy of this
opinion is now evident, for business
men of this nation and the. world for
F that matter have been forced by COM
petition, increased cost of raw mate
rial and high wages, 10 at; least FEC
ognize that Waste, besides being a
tremendous loss financially, eXhib-
its ignorance and Deems in many
cases actually criminal.
Take our own fair city of Alex
andria, look about you, Mr.. Citizen,
do you sec waste in this locality, take
a more observant view of things
about you, see if you can discover
anything resembling waste of money,
OF time. Of opportunity, or happiness
and even life itself.
To cite an instance of waste, one of
our progressive manufacturers recent
ly observed farmer at a down town
corner attempting to Sell a small load
of stove wood. The farmer had trav-
eled over about miles OF country
roads to reach the city to dispose Of
his load of green wood. He probably
had spent one entire day in. his wood
lot cutting his load out of the timber
and another day in hauling the wood
to Alexandria, where he received all
that his load of wood was worth, 80
cents in cash, only 25 csents a day
pay for two days time and labor, wear
and tear on wagon and harness and
fer his produce. A lamentable in
stance of waste, due entirely tc that
particular farmers ignorance.
Thoughtlessness and misplaced ef
fort exists everywhere and it be-
hooyes the men of Alexandria to con-
slider waste, in connection with their
business, their homes and their very
selves Take stock Of your belong
ings, mental, physical and financial.
and out of the waste you will find
Wow, po,- ip,Drovonanf
There are some merchants and man
ufacturers in this city who waste
floor and window space. If your bus
mess does not require all the room
available, look about for an addition
to your line, or create and develop
another product of industry, possibly
one that will give employment to
more people.
Again. there are men in oEr city
wasting every precious moment in
the day, doing nothing more import
ant than to loaf around corners.
Such individuals are harming OH one
more than themselves. To such Per-
sons l would say. become acqnaint-
ed, with the great heaving, STRIVING,
world without and about us, q world
of activity, Of ceaseless industry, OF
wonderful discoveries in science and
mechanics of great inventions that
are being perfected and brought out
almost daily and Of many other
things too numerous to mention. To
know if these things exults and slim
ulates and makes a man eager to be
up and doing.
ing.
Waste: Why the average man
wastes two thirds-of his life time
divided between idleness, gadding
about, and gassing about useless
things, and in overmuch sleep
not necessary to his welfare.
Observe our magnificent water
front. fine example of waste. A
river front which should be teeming
with activity, Vessels discharging'
and taking on cargOes >or north and
south coast wise ports, but which
presents the opposite view. Ruins are
never picturesque except they are his
toric and then they require proper
setting say in Ancient Greece or
Rome to make them sc. But indus
trial ruins are ever an eyesorc and
worse Let us have none Of them.