Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-06-16
ORDINANCE ADOPTED
Common Council Votes to Sell Half
Square of Ground to shipbuiIding
Company.

Il At called meeting Of the com
mon Council held last night the or
b dinance authorizing the mayor 1e
sign a deed conveying half square
! of ground to The General SnipDuild.
ing Company, Incorporated, situat-
ed on the river front between lee
Madison and Montgomery streets,
upon the payment of the sum of $500
was adopted by a vote of II to l,
Councilman Bendheim voting against
the measure.
Council was called to orGer by
President Smith at 8:25 O'Clock with
thirteen members in attendance.
President Smith explained that this
ordinance passed at the last meeting
requiring twelve votes to make 1T
lawful, Councilman Bryan having
called his attention to the fact he
said.
On motion of Councilman Evans
\ council then reconsidered it's former
y action in the matter and Councilman
\ Bales moved the ordinance be put
4 on it's passage.
Councilman Bendheim took the
4 floor and said he wanted to put nim-
! g
\ self on record without the slightest
! hope of influencing anyone. He said
\ he was ready to go as far and do as
| much in order to secure enterprises
that would be of benefit to the city.
! This ordinance he said conveys the
z property to some company OF which
he was unadvised about their pur
Y poses except that it had been stated
\ they have contracts for twenty sub
marine chasers.
Mr.. Bendheim then explained that
he was of the opinion that there
], should be covenant in this deed to
the effect that when they cease to
j use the property as shfpyard for
the construction of vessels it would
revert back to the city.
In conclusion he said his objection
was that it does not safeguard the
city. He was willing to vote for the
proposition if a convenant was put
into lease it.
! Councilman Bryan explained the
j matter from its inception and 2low it
was handled by the finance commit
I tee. He said he proposed to- the Il
nance committee that the city Tease
the property for ten years at $50 a
year, the parties having right to
purchase it at the end of that tirrN
If they were still operating pant.
However, he said the committee out
voted him and he came 20; council
70 sustain the report of the commit
tee to sell the property. He added
that he. had been informed that the
! payroll is now about Sl,7Qo a week
and,within the next few weeks would
probably be $4,000 week
Councilman L&wler stated that
the parties behind the movement
were vouched for by reliable citizens.
IIe said he thought the time for
knocking enterprises was past. Alex
! andrta wants just such con-
(. Germs at this, and added that if they
only built twenty submarine chasers
they are, doing great deal of good.
Bv the cutting down of the big hill
thew have already done good he said.
\ Such concerns should be encouraged
are not discouraged and he thought
the vote should be unanimous.
Councilman Bryan then asked that
the ordinance be read.
\ Councilman Bendheim then moved
! that the ordinance be amended so as
to read that when the property ceases
to be used for shipbuilding purposes
it shall revert TO the CITY,,
President Smith ruled tins out OF
order and the vote was taken result
ing in twelve to one for its adop-
ton.
Those voting for the ordinance
were Messrs. Woolls, Evans, Field.
Kaufmann, Wattles, Desmond, Bales,
\ Pohl, Ballenger, Lawler, Bryan and
I President Smith and Councilman
Bendheim against the ordinance.