Evening star., 1955-11-27
BY GEORGE KENNEDY


i Fairfax, which has beer
changing from a rural to a SUBJ
urban county since World Wal
| II, is now experiencing an inva-
sion OF industry.
I The latest plant to move into
'Ithe county is a structural steel
.Ifabricating works. the Southern
Iron Co. 1t moved its plant from
the foot Of Duke street in Alex
landria's s industrial strip along the
the Potomac River to a site along
lthe Shirley highway at Lncolnia,
served by q spur from the South
tern Railway.
/ The county, which cherishes
its early 10Th century court
mouse where the will Of George
washington is filed, used to resist
change. But it has decided tt
welcome certain types of industry
for the additions they make tc
the tax rolls and the payrolls Of
the community. When the Board
iof Supervisors rezoned the A
lacres purchased by the Southern
Iron Works as industrial earlier
this year, the action was unani-
nous.
Although industry is being
s"sold" to the residents as an ad-
Idition that viii relieve the bur-
lden Of taxation on households
lit is not likely that taxes on in
ldustrial installations viii ever
Iamount to more than a cupful OF
two In Fairfax's big tax bucket.
! The industrialists themselves
agree to this. The writer dis
lcussed this the other day at an
informal conference with Carlyle
/ r. Boguess, president Of the
iSouthern IRON Works; q. W.
lEdler. jr.. general industrial
agent for the Southern Railway;
IC. J. Sheppardson, president Of
lthe Virginia Concrete Co.. and
donald E Ball, board chairman
Iof the Northern Virginia Con-
lstruction Co, in the Office Of Mr.
Ball.
Mr.. Elder. the railroad man,
would like to see q lot Of traffic-
iproducing establishments built
along the Southern's main line,
But, he pointed out, no one would
/ locate a factory in this area
where he would have to COM
pete with the Government in the
labor market and pay the rates
established by Uncle Sam.
But" he said, there are In
Idustries that serve this market
whose product Is so heavy that II
would be prohibitive TO ship it In
from a distance. Mr.. Boguess
structural steel. Mr.. Sheppard
sons mixed concrete, the Lock
Joint Pipe Co.'S huge concrete
pipes made on this property, anC
lMr. Balls washed sand anc
gravel. are examples. And there
q ARE the distributive industries
We are getting frequent inquiries
about locating food warehouse.
and similar establishments ir
'1this area. "
i Requires Little
Mr.. Ball, whose company ha:
more than 400 acres In the area
much of which he hopes to sell
to industries which need bott
railway and highways in theil
operation, had a point to make.
When industry builds Il
starts payrolls and pays taxes
without requiring much in re.
turn" he said. I'VE are getting
water here and the sewer is be.
ling dug through the property
That's all we need. We pay about
$4,000 in taxes, which is no,
! imuch In the county's total. A
large housing development woult
ipay more. But the housing de-
, velopment would necessitats
schools and expenditures for po-
lice and fire protection and road
maintenance"
They estimated that the pay
Iroll Of the industries in this little
Iarea along the Shirley highway
lltotal between So million and 81
;Imillion a year. This includes
IIsums paid to men who own and
'Ioperate their own trucks.
i r. M. Townsend, secretary OF
1.-THE Fairfax County Chamber Of
j Commerce, arrived to keep an
appointment with Mr.. Ball. The
'Ichamber of commerce, which
4 was reorganized q year ago, has
done much to make industry
4 welcome. Mr.. Townsend was
'Iasked about opposition to indus
try.
Warning Against Opposition
Il "The PTA-ers,n he said, Cthe
i Chamber OF Commerce and
members Of the Parent- Teacher
! Association seem to have differ
llences Of opinion. move out
,Iinto the county to be with the
birds and the bees and live in