Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-24
Business Leaders to Make PIeo
For More Suburban Projects


contracts. One practical adj
vantage for these private firms
is lower telephone bills and less
correspondent.
Libraries An Asset
when you have a matter to
discuss with some one in Gov
eminent. said an engineer with
a private research organization
here. "all you have to do is pick
up the telephone. When I
worked on / similar Job in New
York. we Had 3 limit on long,
distance calls and 50 frequently
I had to writH Washington and
spent a lot Of time on corre-.
spondence that I now spend on
research"
This same engineer finds the
large number Of libraries and
research faSilities in the area
an asset.
There d probably more
technical Information available
in WASHINGTON than anywhere
else In the world he said. THE
universities are q big help. too.
Were working with the Uni
versity Of Maryland on a prof.
ect now"
Mr.. Press and others close to
the industrial development here
believe opposition to their eff
forts stems mostly from mis-
understanding.
when You mention the word
'industrys' says A. E. Baker.
manager Of the Board of
Trades Economic Development
Committee, "some people inn
mediately think of smoke
stacks. We're not proposing to
bring heavy industry here.
Light Industry Sought
an the first place. heavy in
dustry isn't interested in the
washington area. I'VE don't
have some Of the things they
need. We're after clean light
industry and research and de-
velcpment activities which will
give us more high-income resi-
dents.
Vitro Laboratories in Sill
yer Spring is typical of the
industries sought for the WASH
ington area by Mr.. Baker. The
plant, at $4,000 Georgia aye
nue., has no smoke stacks and
looks very much like a new
school building or hospital.
Vitro'slexpansion is also typ
icai Of the growth Of new in
dustries here. The firm en-
ployed. AS persons when the
original $50 million plant was
completed in 1851, Recently a
100000 addition was COM
pleted and employment is now
up to $50.
Many of the research activ-
tiles here use no machinery
other than computers. They're
essentially think factories"
which solve problems for the
Government and industry rang
ing from the reduction of
nuisance effects produced by
industrial plants" to the effects
of gamma ray irradiation.
one such research firm Is
Enaleman a. Co.. Inc. 2480 Six
teenthistreet NV. Founded by
retired Navy Capt. Christian 4.
Engleman in 1858, the firm has
grown from a one-man opera
ton to a 100000 annual busi-
ness employing 80 engineers,
scientists and technicians.
Space Age a Factor
The coming Of the space age
has been an important factor
in the rapid increase in the
number of research and de-
velopment firms here. Dozens Of
area firms have contracts with
the Government in connection
with the space and missile pro-
grams, including Project Mer-
curry. manned space fights ex-
pected 70 be launched in 1861.
The possibilities that these
new industries offer in the way
Of easing community fiscal
problems is not lost on county
officials, Since 1945. real estate
taxes have increased more than
so per cent in the area.
In his budget message this
year, Montgomery County
Manager M. L. Reese said the
county needed industry to pro-
vide tax revenues to keep up
with Demands for new schools
and other public services. He
recommended creation of a
Seven-member economic de-
velopnient commission which
would encourage industry to
build in the county.
Community organizations are
also participating in the efforts
to- brfng in new industry,
Twenty : seven organizations
have Joined together in an
Economic Development Found
alton headed by Attorney r.
Robert Linowes. The Founda-
ton Is seeking $4,000 in con-
tributions to finance a research
program on industrial develop
ment.
Montgomery Land Available
Fwe are convinced" said Mr..
Linowes, that industrial devel-
opnnept properly planned and
co-ordinated, will be compati-
BILE with the best residential
developments"
Montgomery County has
about 1000 acres of land zoned
for light industry. most of it
along the Baltimore g. Ohio
Railroad right-of-way, Route
240 and Route 30.
The county council now has
under consideration a proposed
addition to the coming ordi-
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