Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-02
Alexandra SET
ToExpand|ts
Services in 40
(. City Shows Signs
{ Of Retaining 1900
! Wartime Population
BY HELEN RAU.

radical changes to Alexandria. The
city showed signs of maintaining
its wartime population figure of ap.
proximately 72,O00, and is making
/ plans for its postwar development
Floating of $1,500,00O municipal
bond issue at the end of 1945 has
paved the way to expand municipal
service and health, recreation anc
education facilities. A new health
center is almost completed, the
contract has been let for the addi-
ton to the George Washington
High School, one new fire station is
under construction and another
( authorized, survey is underway
for a $1,5O0,000 sewage disposal
plant, and plans are being devel-
oped to acquire new school anc
recreational sites, large-scale
street improvement program and a
new street lighting system.
The Naval Torpedo Station, the
largest single source of employ
ment in Alexandria, has reduced
its personnel since the end of the
war from approximately 5000 to
1890 civilians and STA enlisted per-
sonnet. The manufacture of tor
pedoes ceased there in June, and
Capt. William Vose, commanding
officer, announced that the final
record for Alexandria made tor
pedoes which sank or damaged
enemy ships is 1,4s9 for the period
of the war, with 404 recorded dur
Ing the last year. The station will
continue the manufacture of rock
cts and small naval ordnance ma
terials.
Housing Problem Acute.
Although Alexandria's housing
problem continues acute, the War
Housing Center was closed by the
National Housing Agency last sum-
mer. The end of the war also
brought about the closing of the
USO for colored personnel, which
has been taken over by the recrea-
ton department, and the USO
established for women war workers
under the auspices of the National
Young Women's Christian Associa-
ton.
With the large influx of returning
veterans to the city, various State
and Federal groups have established
contact offices to render aid, while
the city opened municipal veter-
ans information and service center
and has started survey of postwar
employment opportunities.
The ration board has been reduced
to skeleton force and moved to
smaller quarters which are expected
to remain open until June.
In the field of politics, interest
centered around the separation of
the Juvenile and Domestic Rela-
tions Court from the Civil and
Police Court. authorized in May
by the State Legislature, and in the
fight on the part of civic and edu-
cational groups to have the judge
appointed, question settled by a
referendum in August. The elective
method was chosen, and Marion B.
West was elected to the position in
November.
Changes in Council.
The deaths of two city council
men caused changes in the makeup
of that body. Vice Charles
Burgess died last January and the
office was filled in March by the
election of George Bender. Edward
Downey was elected as Represen-
tative of the Sixth Ward. In Sep
TENDER, Councilman Charles M.
Stump died and his seat was filled
in the November elections by John
W. Tulloch.
The death of City Auditor Alfred
Moss resulted in the appointment
of William Topping to the position.
Other prominent residents who
died during the year were Post
master Owen Lynch, who was Sue
ceeded by Elmore Mudd as acting
postmaster; Thomas Chauncey,
Thomas Fannon, DR.. Edgar War
field and Mrs. Betty Smoot, all
members of prominent Alexandria
families; DR.. Thomas Cochran, who
had practiced dentistry in the city
for more than 40 years; Mrs. Louisa
Swami Sinclair, prominent men,
Der of the Daughters of the Amer
lean Revolution; John D. Matter,
former city councilman; DR.. j..
Cameron McCluer, prominent young
physician; Frank Wright Noxon,
newsman, and Leo P. Harlow, local
attorney, who had headed both the
Washington and Alexandria Bar
Associations.
The Alexandria School Board
elected Edward Reed as chairman
in July, when Arthur M. King re-
tired as chairman. Another mem
Der, Purvis Reynolds, also retired,
and John P. Strauss and Claude
Ballenger were named to the board
by the City Council. In November
John w. Tulloch resigned after his
election to City Council and was
succeeded by Armistead l.. Boothe.
The contract for the construction
of 100000 addition to the George
Washington High School was au-
thorized late in 1915. The School
Board gave up the sponsorship of
the day care centers, which were
taken over by the Public Welfare
Department, and the school popuia-
ton hit a peak of 6,951 in Novem-
Der.
City Council sessions during the
year were high lighted by the fights
of residents to prevent the rezonine
to an industrial classification of q
tract on Route l. Council was up-
held when the matter was taken to
the Circuit Court. Many changes In
the site for the firehouse designed
to protect the northwest section OF
the city were made before final
selection of the original site on
Cameron Mills road.
Property Value Rises.
The estimated value of taxable real
property in the city increased In
1945 from $91,340,818 as of January
!, 1945. to approximately 500, 900 600
and the completion of the reassess-
nent of real estate brought an in
crease In toync froy,, that eo,,roo -,