Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-03-13

EXCELLENT (! RECORD
Cost of Construction Work During
Year Was 650,OO1Shirt Factory
Coming Soon-To Employ 100

To the officers and members Of the
Chamber of Commerce Of Alexandria
Va,
Gentlemen:
| In submitting the second ANIMAL re-
port of the Alexandria Chamher Of
| Commerce since It's reorganization: il
! is well to review the history &C tn:
commercial organization in Tho City
of Alexandria.
the Chamber Of C0n:n,etse of tha
City Of Alexandria, Va, me, was or
ganizcd November lst. l90G, viii
twenty-sX charter mclnl.>cr.. This Or
;; ganiZatl2a enjoyed a. cnvia5ie re-
cord in looking to the e:.ic advance
inert + the city. 1t continued - grow
until January, 1918 w!!nr j, hat
forty TWO members. AZ which time
with the coming into oJr midst Of
the Virginia Shipbuildilr Corporation
and other manufactu". piants, j;
waS realized that the tim h:.d ar
rived FOR The eniar@-;nen. Of our CT
ga:!Zation, with the :deA of bring
ing together the ent.r, commercial,
and civic interests Of !he community
The record made by the Chamber 81
Commerce during the past yea: IS ono
that every member can jus;,y feel
proai of and demonstra 5 probably
more than ever before the usefulnes;
ard "aiGc of such an "r.ran::::" :;on y
AiexaI tiia. 1t gives ma n:ucn p!e::-
sure al ..i:;:::2:icp 70 h:lnw that !!
had - Il, part IN 4o'as the goo.
things 80; were of sen ,c":cc::. :"
the ent;:c community.
Commercial organizations were ori-
ginally established to solve problem"
which business men could not care fo!
as individuals. Today It is not only
the representative of business, thc
means for expressing the civic voice
and aim Of the government, but: It is
also the general source Of Informs
ton and service to its eut;re ctm
nlmity. Our Chamber furnished n 10
Of information Of varied natu:n an
handled a large volume OF ceres
pondence. We were very ac::Y:
throughout the year in both Give an
business matters.
Our War activities begun !A':2r tc
this year, all of which were lnen,ionc;,
in the report of your former Prcsl,
dent, were successfully carried, on mr..
til each was found 70 he further Tn
necessary. Full efto:':s were put :nts
various drives Cor war relief and int
the Victory Loan campaign anil as ;
result this campo TT was most sue
Icessful.
Delegates were sent to the meet
ings of all conventions held for TIL
promotion Of general good to the va
rious communities.
During the month Of March, 1919
there was initiated what is known a
the Housing Movement, negotiation:
conducted from time to time alon9
different lines, until finally it derc
ioped into definite form in the or
ganization Of the Alexandria Res
Estate and Mortgage Corporation
stock of which has been subscribed il
amount over $1OO.O0o.00. The housins
matter thus in measure is being
solved.
Due to the interest manifested b,
your organization, and by extend
ing financial aid, the local U. S. En-
ploymenr office has been kept open
and through which scores Of your G
tizens have secured employment.
In April. 1919. Improvement in Sta
ton facilities were secured at tn
Union Station this city. It was ais
during this month that representative
were sent to Richmond, Va. to al
tend the hearings on Freight rate
before the Corporation Comm!ssio
which resulted in securing an adjust
mnet of switching rate from $50
to $4.oO per car, saving thousands Q
dollars per year to our merchant,
This one thing alone would have just
fled the existence of your Chamber.
The Civic and Retail MERCHANTS Ba
seau each in It's own. way, initiate
i and carried. forward to successful cor
clusions various improvements ; fe