Evening star., 1941-12-27
Shop Talk
News About Builders
And ReuI Estate
Personalities

The 500 members and guests of
the Washington Real Estate Board
who attended the annual realtors
Christmas party at the Mayf1ower
Tuesday contributed lot to make
the holidays happier for many chill
dren Of the needy. They gave over
1000 toys to Community Chest
agencies for distribution to children
who otherwise would have had no
evidence of a visit from Santa Claus.
The board asked each person at
tending to bring at least one toy
and the response was complete
Due to the war clouds, the party
this year was not so gay as those
of the past But, everyone seemed
to enjoy It, There was not as much
paid entertainment as usual, but
the real estate men and women
really bore down" on the carol
singing. led by Gene Archer, popu-
lar stage and radio singer. Presi-
dent Charles C. Koones made
brief talk Charles H. Hillegeist was
in good form as master of cere-
monies. N. c. Hines, the Santa
with the pronounced Southern
drawl, performed his job in fine
fashion.
During the party. realtors sub
scribed to nearly 100000 In De-
fense bonds Harvey L. Jones, chair
man of the boards bond selling
committee, reported that Morris
Catritz was the largest subscriber,
taking s25.o00 worth The sales
campaign will continue through
January g. Mr.. Jones said. Workers
on his committee include H. Clifford
Bangs. Henry L. Bouscaren, Frank
NJ. DOYLE. James D. Franklin. B.
Houston McCeney, Francis A. Muir
ray, william T. Nicholson. William
Schwartz. Raymond M. Taylor, J. A.
Weinberg, jr., Andrew Saul, VIII
liam L. King. J. Hawley Smith, Rich
ard D. Stimson and A. K. Bojsen.
Pred f. Taylor, who has been
named manager of the newly
created Office of Decentraliza ton
StTNlCc, tS lpIliICl VI VIC
National Association of Real Es-
tate Boards. He will find the duties
of his office. which are to find new
locations for Government agencies
10 be moved from Washington,
not very popular with fellow realtors
hereabouts
Mr.. Taylor, from Portland, Greg,
was consultant to the United States
Housing Corp. in the last war. In
his new work he will be assisted by
number of other nationally promi-
nent realtors, including Kenneth S.
Keyes, Miami Amos G. Hewitt, New
Haven; Samuel Whiting. Chicago,
and Lowell Turner, Dallas. Their
firms will be precluded from hand
ling any business arising from the
decentralization work. Herbert U.
Nelson. executive vice president of
n. A. r. E. B, will serve as con-
sultant on personnel and planning.
x
Silver Spring is going to have
new commercial center and new
medical and dental Office building,
according to plans announced by Roy
NJ. Coffman. real estate broker who
recently completed negotiations for
purchase of the site at Georgia
avenue and Fidlers lane. The pur-
chasers are Mr.. and Mrs. William
Scrimgeour Of Washington, and c.
Bailey and Maxwell Scrimgeour,
Burnt Mills Hills, Md.
A building to cost about $780,
which will have 10000 square feet
of floor space will be erected at the
intersection. Mr.. Coffman said. On
the first floor will be Is stores and
shops. The second and thhrd floor
will be devoted to offices for doctors
and dentists.
Latest figures from the Labor De-
partment show that at years end
total of $4,000 new family dwelling
units will have been placed under
construction in urban areas OF the
country in lo41 This is the highest
figure since 1928 when 1853 900 new
dwellings were built The smallest
number built in any one year was
$4,000 in 1893, which the depression
was darkest.
George D. Miller, sales director for
Boss & Phelps, has just returned
from a three weeks trip to Cludad
Truiillo, Dominican Republic, and
San Juan, Puerto Rico. He visited
his son who is with the U. S. Army
Engineers in San Juan.