Evening star., 1929-12-11
VIRGINIA SECTION
,.ASL|NK OF CITIES
State Senator Ball Pictures
Washington FIanked' by
Municipalities.

FAIRFAX, Va, December 1.-THE
development within the near future oi
three great cities last night was fore
cast by Senator Frank Ball addressing
the monthly meeting of the Fairfax
County Chamber of Commerce. held in
the. Grange Hall at Masonville.
Washington, the Nations Capital, will
be fianked on either side by a great
Maryland metropolis, with Virginia
building up city across the Potomac.
He stated that the $4,000 people now
resident in the metropolitan area of
Virginia should realize that the sooner
they begin to think and plan in terms
of that city rather than as separate
units, the greater the results to be
achieved. Northern Virginia must keep
in step with the planning and coming
achievements of other modern cities
If the mistakes of the past are to be
avoided and corrected, he said.
His statement that the greatest mis-
the location of the new Mount Vernon
Boulevard along the river route instead
OF on the hills. was greeted with great
applause. The lack of any central body
empowered to act with authority for
Northern Virginia in dealing with the
National Park and Planning Commits
sion was blamed for the failure of Vir-
ton of this boulevard, he said.
Senator's Bill.
Senator Ball stated that in the bill
which he will introduce at the next
session of the State Legislature. he is
welded to no particular personnel sor
this planning commission. He will
welcome suggestions from interested
citizens, his only stipulation being that
they be local men and given absolute
Jurisdiction. He stressed that the only
city plan ever adopted IN this section
was that of the original city of Alex
andria, 1875 years ago, to which no later
additions have been made. Neither
Fairfax County nor Alexandria City are
Zoned. and while Arlington County is
now in the throes of its first coming
ordinance, no work is being done with
reference to the neighboring land.
''It is high time that these three Sec
tions realize that their destiny is one,"
he declared, land that the job be given
to some one who is not too occupied
with other interests" His plea for the
development of this area from the
Virginia viewpoint rather than as an
adjunct to Washington was also ap-
plauded.
Chambers to Confer.
The chamber authorized President
z. II. Allen to call a meeting of the
directorate of the Fairfax, Arlington
and Alexandria chambers to discuss
with Senator Ball the specific provi-
sionS of his proposed bill. This meeting
will probably be held in Alexandria or
other central point, as soon as can be
arranged. l.. L. Freeman, Fairfax
County member of the House of Dele
gates, pledged his interest and assist
ance, in putting this project through
the next Legislature.
The chamber last night instructed
the president to call a meeting of the
directors next week to discuss with
Senator Ball and Delegate L. L. Free
man what steps muStss be taken when
the State Legislature convenes the sec
ond week in January to have modified
the law passed by the last Legislature
changing the manner of assessing real
estate. The five-year assessment of all
real estate in Virginia will be made
during 1880. Under the old law the
court appointed assessors, who were.
paid by the supervisors. The cost of
the 1925 assessment in Fairfax County
amounted to less than $2,500. Under
the new law this duty is given to the
commissioners of revenue, who formerly
assessed only the personal property. No
provision is made under the law for
increasing the commissioners salaries
to correspond with the added respon-
Sibilities or to allow them any funds
for hiring additional helpers. The re-
suit is that the commissioners through
out the State have stated that they are
poWerleSS to make any reaSSesSment and
they expect merely to copy the last as
easements.
F. s. McCandlish, who led the dis
cussipn last night, stated that Fairfax
County should spend not less than
SIS, 900 to make a fair and buSineSslike
assessment of its land. There are two
points to be considered in making this
aSsessment-first, the many present in
equahties, one mans property being as
sessed high, his neighbor's low; second,
the universal system of assessing land
value at one-third to one-fourth their
cash value, which in turn is accompa-
MED by misleadingly high tax rate.
As the law now stands. the supervisors
are unable to supplement the Commis-
SionerS salary with additional funds to
make fair assessment. The first at
tention of the chamber will therefore
be directed to devising ways and means
by which this can be remedied. includ-
ing enabling action by the Legislature.
The chamber last night voted over
Whelmingly in favor of having this re-
assessment made by a board of three, a
farmer, business man, and real estate
auLIOElJy, JLlS DOarQ 10 SlC peflOQlcally
at the court house to allow taxpayers
an opportunity to protest any grievances
before the assessments are made final.
The chamber last night as on many
previous occasions, went on record as
sponsoring an assessment of real estate
at approximately its full market value
with a corresponding reduction in the
tax rate.
w. S. Hoge, jr., Thomas Keith, and
=. s. McCandlish were appointed a
committee to represent the chamber
in negotiations with the Standard Oil
Co. relative to the development of the
corner property on Main and Payne
streets in Fairfax fronting on the
Court House. The chamber Endorsed
the action Of the supervisors in request
ing the construction of building of
colonial architecture, and asked that
the company place its tanks far enough
back from the right of way to allow
for the eventual widening of the Lee
Highway through the town.
The chamber voted unanimously to
request Gov.-elect John G.. Pollard to
appoint Hubert Williams of Fairfax
County a member of his new State
Board Of Education.