Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-10-27
Supervisors Appoint Com
mittee to Suggest Plan
For Change.
VIE WS EXPRESSED
One Faction Holds That Division IN
TO Towns Would Mean Stagnation
For Rural Sections.

That incorporation of the whole of
Alexandria county into SINCE town
is the only proposition that should
be considered in regard to changing
its present form Of government for
enc better suited to the needs OF the
community is the opinion of viii W..
Douglas. of Ballston, according to the
Alexandria county Monitor. In 0aS-
cussing the appointment by the board
of supervisors at its last meeting OF a
committee to prepare tentative
form for incorporation, with view
TO asking the State for a charter, Mr..
Douglas said that he had repeatedly
advocated Incorporation of the entire
county.
Separate Incorporation Of one or
more of the more thickly built up
sections, such as Clarendon, BallSton,
or Cherrydale he suggested, would
mean that the remaining area would
have to struggle along with county
government probably less able to
handle its problems than the present
one.
Mr.. Douglas has been instrumen-
t,l an previous occasions in cefeating
movements to incorporate separate
sections of the county. He said that
ne has not recently consulted the
laws on the subject, but did not know
of any legal objection to the lncor-
poration of a whole county any more
than in the case of any portion of Il
county.
The general objection to incorpo-
ration has been that it would greatly
increase the number Of elective Off
cials. u council of two branches ana
a mayor constituting the most usual
form of city government IN Virginia.
The probable result would be d cum
berson legislative body with the ma
ioritv of it's members entirely igno-
rant of the science or modern theor-
les of governing. The members
would be selected by yards, t.us af-
fording opportunity for putting
neiphborhoo.: wrangies into politics.
an.:, the two-hOuse feature would
make it difficult to get measure pas
sed.
If the county could on becoming a
city adopt the commission form 0i
government, which is possible under
Virginia law, there would be an
obvious advantage over the present
situation. There would then be no
question as to its power to pave SIDE
walks. light street. provide water and
sewerage, anG do all of the things for
which here is general demand. A
few men in absolute control of the
local government could probably ac-
complsh many things that board
of supervisors with its restricted
powers hesitates to tackle, and the
increased compensation that would 20
with such a change would attract men
who could afford to give a large part
if not all Of their time to the govern
ment.
On the other hand it is pointed out
that under the broad powers confer
! red o, the boards of supervisors OF
counties such as Alexandria by the
general assembly at its hast session
the local government as it is now or
ganized is practically of the commits
son form 1t can do apparently any
thing that a city government coulc
| do, and is not burdened with many
of the responsibilities that attach tc
an actual city government.
In the meantime, while the board
icommittee on Incorporation is inves
Itigating that proposition, the super
visors are being urged to go ahead a
even a faster pace than they have al
Iready adopted and use the power:
conferred upon them by the act of th'
assembly. Reversal or disapprova
of their actions by Judge ]. B. /
Thornton of the Circuit Court, wh'
yhas advisory supervision and a fins
veto on the ordinances they enact, l!
the worst thing that can, befaFl them
] and fear of the exercise Of that dis
iicretfon by the Judge should not dete