Evening star., 1907-11-16
new FORM OF GOVERNMENT
CITIZENS OF ALEXANDRIA
COUNTY WANT A CHANGE.
Committee Appointed at Mass Meet
ing to Prepare Bill for Pre-
sentation to Legislature

A mass meeting at Alexandra county
court house Thursday night appointed
committee of ten to consider the needs
of the community in the way of an Inn
proved form of government and to draw
up a measure for presentation by their
| represent atives in the Virginia 1egisla-
ture.
The meeting was called by resolution
passed at a recent session of the Ross
lyn Board of Trade, at which r. Walton
| Moore of Fairfax urged the necessity of
change to meet the requirements of the
| rapidly growing population of the county.
Invitations were sent to all the citizens
associations in the county and delegates
were present from every district and from
| nearly every closely settled section. Six
organizations were represented by from
three to six delegates. and many other
citizens were in attendance. The board
of supervisors had been especially in
vited and two of the three. Messrs. w.
N. Febrey and VIII Douglass, with their
clerk. George H. Rucker. were present
Mr.. Douglass called the meeting to or
der, and Walter Weaver and Gordon Fin
respectively. Mr. Finney explained
briefly the action of the Rosslyn Board of
Trade. of which he is secretary, in calling
the meeting. and asked Mr.. Douglass to
present his views on the need of change
in government.
Views Of Mr.. Douglass.
Mr. Douglass said he could speak
freely. as he was soon to retire from
the board of supervisors, but notwith-
standing he had given much thought
upon the subject in his four years Of ex
perience as a member of the present
county governing board. he had no settled
opinion. He would state. however, the
conditions as presented at the Rosslyn
meeting by Walton Moore, who was nee
essarfly absent in Memphis. Tenn. There
Wsre possible under the constitution three
forms Of government-the city, the town
and the present county government.
Small communities in the county might
incorporate as towns, but after discussion
this had been unanimously rejected at
Rosslyn for many reasons. The whole
county might be incorporated but as the
population was far in excess of 10000
the constitution would require city form
OF government with mayor. aldermen and
council and attendant obligations. This
was believed to be impracticable. There
was left the improvement of the present
form. by extending the powers Of the
board of supervisors. Mr.. Douglass
called attention ito the successful gov
eminent of Galveston, Des Moines and
Washington by three commissioners, and
thought law general enough to be con-
st1tutional could be passed at Richmond
which would cure the present troubles.
Other Suggestions.
County Clerk Rucker in a brief state
ment proposed that the board Of super
visors be asked to employ attorneys to
draw up bill to meet all requirements
Capt. Crandal Mackey. recently re-
elected commemorative attorney, pointed
under a city form OF government. which
a recent court of appeals decision lifted
from the county government, and spoke of
other advantages of the county form for
existing conditions. He moved that a
committee be appointed to study the sit
provement of the county form of govern
ment by extending the powers OF the
supervisors.
The members of the several citizens
associations were then called on for ex-
pressions. especially Del Ray-St. Elmo,
which is taking steps for local incor-
poration. Mr.. ]. H. Supplee, for Del
Ray, responded by explaining that
streets, lights and sewers are becoming
necessity in that locality. but citizens
had no power to lay taxes to provide
them. They could only collect volun
tary contributions and that compelled the
public spirited to improve the property of
many who would not contribute. This
made progress impracticable.
Maj. E. w. r. Ewing, president of the
Ballston Association, made protest
against any committee appointed by the
meeting taking any final action without
submission to citizens not present Ad-
dresses and amendments to Capt. Mack
ey's motion were made by Messrs. w. C.
Welburn Ralph Baldwin, VIM. A. E. Nc
Shea, T. A. r. Taft, CHI. Greathouse and
others.
Committee Appointed.
AS amended and passed the resolution
called for a committee consisting of mem
bers named, one each by the six citizens
associations the Rosslyn Board of Trade
and the county board of supervisors, to
form of government and submit it for rat
ifcation to another mass meeting at the
courthouse The several delegations at
once nominated the following, who, with
the supervisors. D. N. Rust, Will Doug
lass and w. N. Febrey. were appointed as
the committee: E. Wiley Stearns Ross
lyn; Crandal Mackey. Cherrydale; E. W.
K. Ewing, Balston; George H. Rucker
Clarendon; j. d. Ashford, st. Elmo-Del
Ray; c. H. Greathouse. FIT. Myer-Colo-
nial Heights, and member to be named
for Glen Carlyn. The committee met at
once upon adjournment of the mass
meeting, chose c. H. Greathouse secre-
tary, and invited Representative Jas r.
Cation, Senator Ewell Thornton and R.
Walton Moore to present their views at
meetings of the committee soon to be
held.