Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-01-18
FOR GREATER
ALEXANDRIA
Councilman Claude Fletcher
Favors Entire Gazette
List of Improve
ments
New School Building, He Says, Is
Most Important-Little River
Turnpike Also of Vital
Importance

Councilman Claude W. Fletcher, OF
the Fletcher Motor Company, tells
the Gazette reporter that ne is OF the
same opinion regarding the propose
improvements as are most OF the
other citizens of the city. He thinks
that all are important, and, further.
more, that the erection of an ample
school building is of the most import
ance at the present time. He says
that
al am heartily in favor of each
and every one of the improvements
which are being held before the eyes
of the public by the Gazette, but in
the shape things are at present
think that, by all means, the new
school building is the most needed.
AS all must be we'll aware by. this
time. the seating capacity of the
school buildings at this time is so
small that some of our little children
are only able to attend school one
half of each day, and the others who
are able to go all day are so crowded
that they cannot do their class work
and receive the attention they should
from the teacher. The teacher gets
the blame, of course; gets the blame
when it is not her fault at all but
the fault of US all.
"What we Alexandrians need is to
awake to the possibilities of our city
We cannot forever drift as we are
drifting and I think that the sooner
we awake to the fact, the sooner we
can have what we so much want.
"What we should do first is to
build the school and there let our
children learn without any disadvant-
age whatsoever. We owe this to our
children, and as education is recog>
nized as one of the greatest things
under the sun, should we not give our
children the best advantages possible
to receive it.
"Greatness will come in direct pro-
portion to the amount Of education
our people have. We must give the
future citizens of Alexandria the
basis for this greater city if it is to
ever come into reality. The new
school building would bring with it
the desire for greater things. The
new school building would be OF such
advertising value that many who are,
at present, living in Washington and
working here would build homes in
this city where they could be close to
their work and at the same time be
conveniently situated as to good
school system. This would bring into
the hands of our contractors more
work, they could employ more men
who. in turn, would spend their
money in thisycity, thus creating more
trade for our merchants and better
ING in every way our city.
"The White Way from Fairfax
street to Patrick street on King
street is practically assured US and
in a very short time hope that the
Gazette may omit this item from its
list of proposed improvements and
enter it as one already ACCOMPLISHED.
"Next to the school building in
Importance is the building of the Lit
tie River turnpike from this city to
Fairfax Court House. distance OF
fourteen miles. The Improvements
of this piece of road will open to our
trade vast sections of the most pro-
ductive portion of the state. But the
advantages Of this have been stated
before
esWith the new form of government
which will go into effect next Sep
TENDER, will come the chance OF a
lifetime to improve our cltV-that IS
if we 20 at it in the right way and
start right bv electing the right men
for the positions of councilmen. The
election of the right men must not
end our part of the responsibility.
We must stand behind them and see
to it thot things are done as they
should be.
"So let's to it and build the school
and follow that up with the road
work and thus go on down the line
doing one thing at a time and dc
that as it should be done-rightly.'
/