Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-11
URGES INDUSTRIAL
EXPANSION IN CITY
Leese Sees Big Opportunity
for Capital Without
BIighting Beauty.

An emphatic plea for great expan
sion of the Industrial development Of
Washington and he metropolitan area
of the Capital was delivered by Mautiu
A. Leese. president q he Chamber 81
Commerce, last night before the
monthly banquet session OF the Assoc.
ciated Retail Credit Men Of Washing
ton, meeting at The Raleigh 1Iotal.
Holding that an Industrial expansion
In this vicinity would be possible with
out crea,.Hg a biGa> on the beauty o.
the Federal City. ar. Leese asserted
that because of the ever increasing
costs OF the municipal government
ana ~ Gradual enlargement Of tho
non taxable, Government owned land
IN the Dlsrlct il was necessary chat
new money be bought into the CITY
Tor the maintenance of adequate
revenues
Already tax experts everywhere. Mr..
Leese said, are conceding that prom
erty in the District is taxed too hiuh
This could be obviated if industrial.
growth was fostered here. he pointed
out. making it unnecessary for the
present high rate of taxation on
realty, on the other hand the Cham
Der OF Commerce executive pointed 10
the Increase in property valuation
Which the District Tax Assessor has
announced to be effective for the tax
assessment Of 1928.
600 Industries Here Now.
The residents of Washington want
9. beautiful National Capital" said
Mr.. Leese, '.but they don't want It 10
the extent Of having to bear the bur-
den of it's development alone"
Contrary 70 the conception of many,
Mr. Leese said Washington now has
@ considerable Industrial development
for city that does not pose as an
industrial center, having now a total
of 500 industries here, which employ
more than 10000 workers.
These manufacturing plants last
year turned raw products into finished
goods having total value Of $4,000
600, he reported He pointed to the
three great industrial concerns Of the
Government situated in WASHINGTON
the Bureau OF Engraving and Print
Ing, the Government Printing Office
and the Naval Gun Factory, as well
as the Bureau Of Standards.
The Federal Government. however.
Mr. Leese added, is walking up to its
responsibility" and he pointed to the
$50 100000 building program as an in
cication of the Federal funds to be
spent on Washington developments
within five years. and predicted that
the sum would be doubled for the next
10-year period
$4,000, 100000 InstaEIments.
An address on the functions and
responsibilities of the retail credit
bureaus Of the Nation was delivered
by Guy NJ. Hulse, field secretary Of
the credit service division of the Ma
tional Association of Retail Credit
Men. Credit associations, he said,
serve to guard financial liquidity
through checking the amount of credit
allowed against the resources OF the
section
A grand total of $4,000. ooo 600 worth
of commodities in the United States
now is listed on the installment and
deferred accounts alone, he said. A
national calamity would result If these
credits were to become frozen" he
said, pointing to the necessity of
credit managers in carefully adiudging
the ability of customers to pay
their contracted bills.
Mr. Hulse also praised tho work Of |
Stephen H. Takes Of Washington, sec |
rotary of the local Association Of Re |
tail Credit men and president of the !
credit service exchange division of the I
national association.
David Sanger, retiring president Of /
the local association, presided, and a /
brief talk was given by J. r.. Hewitt,
second vice president of the national
body.