Evening star., 1927-11-17

to annexation proceedings. and its in
habitants fear that Alexandria Will
continue to "whittle it down" Many
persons favor incorporation of the
county on that ground alone. without
being impressed with the benefits
which others say will come to the re-
gion under city form of government
Feud of Long Standing.
The land feud between Alexandria
and Arlington County is an old one 1t
may be said to have begun when the
former County of Alexandria was split
| into the Independent city Of Alexan-
dria and Arlington County. Alexan-
dria undertook to annex a part of
Arlington County in 1915 After a
fight of about two years, during which
the annexation suit went to the Su-
preme Court of Virginia. the city was
authorized to extend its northern
boundary to "Braddock road, thence
! to n point on the south side of jan
neys lane, so feet west of King street
extended, thence around Washington
Park to Roberts lane. thence to the
midchannel of Hunting Creek"
Although compromise from the
original petition this extension showed
that the courts were willing to permit
Alexandria to expand as the need
arose.
Arlington County and Alexandria
comprise about 80 square miles Alex
andria is at present confined to an
area of little more than 21z square
miles It's expansion to the south Is
cut off by Hunting Creek. The last
official estimate of the population of
tho city was "a little more than $4,000.
but the Chamber of Commerce claims
that it is $1,000 today. Others say
that the population of Alexandria is
falling off
The estimated population of Arling-
ton County is approximately 81 600. No
one questions that the countys -popu-
latiOn IS increasing. due chiefly to the
continual movement of home owners
to the west side Of the river.
The legal battle which will begin in
the courthouse on the heights above
the Potomac t.iver next month over
Alexandrias annexation petition is ex-
pected to last many months. and to
be merry one-to put it mildly. Both
communities will supplement their
regular legal batteries with talent
from Washington. The town of Po-
tomac. which has q char.er of it's own
within Arlington County, will join with
the county in opposing annexation to
Alexandria
Issues Bound Together.
The enabling act probably will come
before the Legislature at Richmond
when it meets In January. Every
move in the campaign for approval of
the enabling act will have Il bearing
upon the annexation proceedings, and
vice versa. If the move to incorpo-
rate Arlington County should be
cropped, perhaps the annexation suit
would be dropped-but who knows?
Perhaps both movements have gone
!, too far for any compromise now, ex-
cept after a long legal struggle. In
any event, most persons believe that
this issue between the county and
Alexandria is bound to be fought out
some day, and many believe it might
as we'll he now
The movement, which resulted in
the introduction OF the so-called enab-
ling act in the State Senate by Mr..
Bah last Spring began about a year
ago. when Arthur Orr of Lyon Park.
presented resolution at meeting of
the Civic Federation of Arlington
County that led to the formation of
the Better Government Commission.
This body was created by joint ac-
ton of the Civic Federation and the
Chamber Of Commerce of Arlington
County. 1t is composed of seven dele
gates from each Of these groups, the
State Senator from the district. who
happens to be a resident of Arlington
County. and the county's member OF
the House of Delegates.
L. c. McNemar of Clarendon was
chosen chairman of the Better Gov
ernment Commission and still holds
that position. A ma jority of the COM
mission, after studying the question
of government in the county, soon be-
came convinced that immediate incor-
poration was the best thing. A sug-
gestion was first made that the Legis-
lature be asked to pass a bill incor-
porating the county When objections
were raised to this course ii was
agreed that the best method would he
TO let the people of the county decide
for themselves. IT was agreed to
cial session of the General Assembly
last Spring of bill to give the people
OF Arlington County the right to hold
an election to Vote themselves city
it they so desired either at once OF
at later date. A bill was drawn by
a committee selected for that purpose
and 1t was wnrted 80 that II the peo.
pie voted In favor Of Incorporation
the county would become. ipsO facto,
q city Of the first class. in accordance
with the provisions Of the general law
of the State on this subject