Evening star., 1925-11-12

Thousands of Wa ShingtOnians this
afternoon are inspecting Washington's
latest addition TO the ranks of up-to-
date department stores at the new
Hecht Co. $4,000. 900 addition at Sew
enth and + streets.
The store is decorated in holiday
fashion. Special guides are posted for
the information of the visitors, and the
opening event will continue until 6
o'clock tonight. Then again at s
O'clock the doors viii open tor few
hours.
Today marks the greatest step for
ward taken by the Hecht Co. since its
first modest store was opened in
Washington by Alexander Hecht some
% years ago. The Washington store
became part of n chain. which now
numbers seven stores, under the Hecht
Co-fve Of which are in Baltimore
and one in New York.
During the period of existence in
Washington n steady normal growth
of the city was reflected in the en-
largement of the facilities of the store,
which first specialized in dry Goods
and gradually added various lines of
merchandise to its shelves until it
branched out into mems wearing ap-
parel and household accessories.
During recent years a furniture
business was incorporated into the
store a s we'll as a sports line and a
music shop.
New Lines of Business.
The new store will provide for even
additional enlarGements of the classes
of merchandise hitherto handled by
the Hecht co. Jewelry. watches and
diamonds, never in stock at Hecht's
heretofore. will he one of the innova-
ttons. y toy department Will be an
other, to which is annexed a barber
shop for children. The chlid's cloth
ing department has been increased in
size 100 per cent In fact. in almost
every department, where there is not
an innovation, there is at least n dou-
bic enlargement of space and additions
to the line of goods previously on the
shelves.
The new building was the mate
rialization of the joint dream of Alex
ander HeCht. who is specially ;Hter-
eSted in the Washington store, and
his nephew, Harold II. Levi, vice
president of the HeCht Co and gen.
eral manager of the store. Years
ago they saw the possibilities for an
increase in facilities for local shop
pers and made plans gradually TO en-
large Hecht's in order that ii might
he able To take care of the demand.
was the purchase of the site of the
Garrick Theater. scene of several
brilliant first nights in stage sue
cesses. The property had been ac-
CURED for some time. however. be-
fore the Garrick was dismantled and
razed to make way for the structure
that now stands on the corner of
Seventh and + streets.
Today the store completed. Many
improvements went into the building.
One interesting service feature of the
store is the elevators. There are
about five safety appliances on them.
Automatically the elevator stops at a
floor level. Automatically the doors
elevator door and floor door-open.
Automatically these doors close. at
the press of a button. Automatically
the elevator travels TO its next auto
matte stop. The operator does nothing
save move lever
Heating System Feature
The heating system is another fea-
ture. Two huge furnaces almost as
large as the a, erage $500 house
itself. are down in the basement Fuel
oil feeds them. Automatic controls
keep the temperature at a desired de.
gree. A number of safety devices
nave been incorporated into these fur
naceS also.
There are Conveyor belts for facili-
tating service behind the scenes, a
room for packing and disposing of
furniture, a printing department, an
automatic telephone switchboard for
use in the store, innovations in han
ding and shipping merchandise and