Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-03-09

y. His address in part follows:
, olatle Or unfavorable will dep md
whether or not the stream o: labor
constantly e3ws in or is damned at
! Ii" source.
Realizing he importance Of these
pro%Icr>. VIC have established Il We'll
ARE Department, esprcil!." designed
to take care Of housing and living con-
d.t;ons for al or emG'@yccs. This
::t1artment has employed experts to
s,..vey the housing facilities OF our
t1wn.which experts find them woefully
inadequate. Cur plant alone VIII en-
p!oy about $500 men, experience
:eachc. that this number o. workmen
VIII increase the population Of town
bv fram II to Is thousand. \ aan-
vas of your city shows 81 vacant
houses. and 1872 rooms which could
be rentei. Counting q persons 70 4
house. K wo%ld require from 2500 70
5000 houses, o. counting , persons
to each room, It would require from
1000 to 5000 rooms. Therefore 1t
seems. that there are available only
nt,.. cent OF the number -, roorls re !,
ciired. or | per cent of the number Of
houses REQUIRED. And trends. warn
cur holsehoIicrs against 'proiteer-
ing"
Permit me to congratulate you on
your hospital, churches and schools,
all splendidly established for,rpr4se"t
needs. But the schools must prepare
extraordinary expansion. We have
room for approximately 300 additional
pupils, whereas. within the next SIX
months or year, we will be called upon
to accommodate 1000 or 5000 addi-
tional pupils. Your splendid hospital
is equipped, I understand, with 90
beds. One hundred and eighty beds
will probably be neede:, and other
equipment in proportion.
How many hotels have we here?
How many theatres? The need is great
and will be greater.
consider or lighting and water
system. For Illuminating purposes
in the home wc have splendid service
but electricity for power ard CON-
mcrcial purposes is far from ade-,
ouate. and the rates for power are
far from enticing to prospective IN
dustries. cheap power $ slogan OF
;; all growing industrial centers. Our
water system has 80 pound pressure
and should have at least 10 pounds
to insure fire protection and proper
sanitation. !.
Street and road Improvements are
needed. Go visit any Of the industrial
plants lately openei here. and see
| condition Of the roads leading to them
:. condition which wrecks motor
trucks. delays transportation and
handicaps operations in a hundred
ways. The trolley service IS good.
Is it prepared for expansion? Can 1t
accommodate the freight hauling that
il will he asked TO accommodate soon!
Look also to the ferry service.
! Fellow townsmen, we can congratu-
late ourselves upon the action Of our
retail merchants association. They
/ have clearly demonstrated their pro-
gressivc spirit by voting unanimously
to give up their independence and
! merge themselves into this organlZa-
tion for the sake Of greater AleXan-
dria. That spirit is what we want.
| have attempted briefly to show our
needs Mr.. Mcfarland will show you
how we can fulfil those needs--if we
! have the spirit that puts US up on
orr toes. every minute worklng-Fl
we here and now resolve that we can
hest serve our nation, or city and
ourselves by being at it. all at = q
all always at it till til, .ss
of the war brings an
of unprecedented prosperity,
Alexandria, regrant, cnerSes ne',,
city" .-AAx..4e.- %