Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-10-16
Sees Return Of '"'''.'
Better Business
Local Writer Believes Alexandria's
Business ihl91 Upward Trend
Urges New Ideals and Obiec-
tives.
Communicated


With the re-oper1ing of the Ship
Building plant, and the establishment
of several new industries, Alexandria
is gradually assuming the thriving,
busting appearance that prevailed
here during the world war. Now that
the striking railroad men have return
ed to work on the Southern Railway
Company, it is expected that a large
portion Of those men who are still at
loggerheads with the Richmond, Fred
ericksburk & Potomac Railroad will
avail themselves Of the opportunity to
secure employment at the shipyard,
thus alievating matters considerably
and>placing business back to normal
cy There is no question but what the
strike has affected business here TO no
small degree, although the generous
response of the business men general
ly did muchsto keep suffering and bus
mess Depression to a minimum. Soon
er or later the striking Shopmen and
the Richmond, Washington line will
patch up their grievances and Alex
andria will witness an industrial boom
that will in all probability rival that
If the war. Yet with all Of the out
ward signs of prosperity staring us
in the face, it behooves each and every
citizen to be astir in order that our
community may reap all of the bene-
fits that will accrue from the indus
trial boom that is bound TO follow the
establishing Of new industries Wig
of0as' aTtd concerted action should be
gotten under way at once for the
building of the joint Y. NJ. c. A. and
Public Library Building. Plans should
be pushed for the building Of an up
to-date, modern hotel that will at
tract the thousands of tourists that
pass through here yearly. If neces-
sary, plan, such as is being worked
in Winchester, Va, whereby modern
hotel is to be built with the citizens
of the town as the stockholders, thus
making it a community built hotel and
one which every citizen can recon-
mend with pride. could be gone into,
for if a town as small as Winchester
can build an up-to-date fireproof hotel
costing several hundred thousands of
dollars, there is no reason why Alex
andria, with its much larger popula-
ton, cannot do the same. Another
important item is the formation of an
automobile club, which will be in po-
sition to furnish tourists with all kind
of touring information SO necessary TO
the greatly increasing number Of
travellers by auto. Road signs are
badly needed and an Automobile club
could render invaluable aid int the
city in the way of advertising, for it
isenatural for a visitor to talk about
the lcourtesies extended them while a
stranger within our gates and the
creating of favorable impression
will not only bring him back for an
other visit but in all probability some
of his friends as well. There are
MANY other things that could be enum
Grated that would benefit our com
munity but the main thing above all
others is. let the stranger know he
is welcome; that the welcome is sin
cere, and that we are real glad to have
him amongst us, thus adding another
good citizen, as we'll as a booster to
our ranks. The dawn Of real in
dustrial boom is upon US and to
what extent it progresses depends
entirely upon ourselves AleXandrians
have as much civic pride as any COM
munity inthe United States and it is
with an optimistic feeling that we face
the future, for a greater Alexandria.
f. c. SCOTT.