Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-30
ARLINGTONDROPS
ANNEXATION CASE
Supervisors Also Will Refuse
Billboard Permits-Re-
scind Water Penalty.
BY LESTER n. INSKEEP,
stan Correspondent of The Star.

stan Correspondent of The Star.
ARLINGTON COUNTY COURT
HOUSE, July 30.-The Alexandra Ar
1ington County annexation case was
brought to an abrupt close by the Ar
iington County board of supervisors to-
day when they announced defeat by
abandoning their intention to appeal.
The decision of the board relinquishes
to Alexandra the entire territory re-
Gently awarded to the city by the three
Judges who were appointed by the gov
ernor to hear the case.
The decision was made as result Of
an investigation by Supervisor B. M.
Hedrick, who announced that he had
definite knowledge to the effect that
the appeal would be heard in special
session and a decision rendered prior
to January /, 1880, when the land would
automatically go to Alexandria In case
Arlington County lost.
Just Additional Drain.
Inasmuch as the sole purpose Of the
appeal was an effort to keep the case
IN the court long enough to collect
next years taxes on the annexed area,
there being little hope Of reversal by
the higher court, it was deemed that
the cost of the appeal would be but an
additional drain on the county finances
Will IlOLIlIllB 10 gam.
County Directing Engineer C.. l..
Kinnier was instructed by the board
Immediately to notify the Virginia
State Highway Commission of the de-
cision to drop the appeal and ask that
any funds allocated for the construc-
ton of State highways within the an
nexed territory be diverted to other
highways In Arlington County. prefer
ably to the extension. of the work now
being done by the State on the WIDEN
ing and paving Of Glebe road.
There are two State highways and
one important county highway affected
by the annexation. The State highways
are the Washington Alexandria pike
and Glebe road, and the county high
way. Mount Vernon avenue. In the case
of the Washington Alexandria pike the
county will now reconstruct that road
only 20 Four-nnile Run, the new Alex
andrla limit. The reconstruction Of
Mount Vernon avenue. which is already
under way by the county. is also being
carried to Four-mile Run. leaving the
city OF Alexandria the entire expense of
carrying these two projects to their
completion within the city limits.
Ground Gained by City.
BY the decision Alexandria gains ad-
half times the present area of that city.
Arlington County loses approximately
ore-half Of Jefferson district and one
sixth of the entire area of the county.
Included in this territory are the
George Mason High School and Elemen-
Cary School in the town of Potomac and
the revenues derived from the taxes on
Potomac yards
Among the county officials who must
either their or fI,aiV
homes and move into that part of Ar
lington County still intact are Super
visor Edward Duncan, chairman Of the
Board OF County Supervisors. and life
long resident Of the affected area Ed
ward H. Duncan, clerk of the court
Ralph Remington, deputy clerk; Bryan
Gordon, associate Police Court trial JUS
tice; Walter U. Varney, CORPORATION
counsel for the town of Potomac. and
Archie Richards. deputy sheriff.
Billboard Permits Refused.
Another important move at this
mornings board meeting was the an
nouncement by both supervisors, B. M.
Hedrick Of Arlington district. and Ed
ward Duncan of Jefferson district, that
they will, until further notice, refuse
all applications for the erection of bill
boards in their respective districts.
kinnier was instructed to investigate
the authority for the erection of all
signs along the Lee Highway especially
With respect to the intersection Of the
Lee Highway and Glebe road. and order
the removal of all such signs that OBJ
struct the view of motorists approach
ing the intersections unless such signs
have been erected as the result of
permit issued by the Board of County
SnnprUfCnrc TI1o 1NOo ri I'm
application for the erection of 12x40-
foot sign above the Trust Co. of
Northern Virginia and Rosslyn.
Water Penalty Rescinded.
Acting on the suggestion of County
Directing Engineer G. L. Kinnier, the
board rescinded its previous action
in assessing a penalty of per cent
Tor failure to make prompt payment on
front footage water installment and
ordered that the money paid up to the
previous time, be returned to those
penalized. r.,
Since the installation of the present
county water system, the water board
has until the present time been assess
ing penalty against all persons who
failed to make their installment on the
day on which they are due. mis- Is an
addition to the 6 per cent interest |
charge required on all payments that |
are made in installments for the $l-a-
foot installation charge
Last week. however. Judge Howard w. |
Smith issued an injunction against the |
board in which he ruled that since |
there was no mention of the penalty in !
the contract signed by water users the |
penalty was illegal.
1t was suggested at today's meeting
that instead Of per cent penalty
Ior 1allure TO make prompt payment
the board might make an allowance of
an equal amount for those making their
payments promptly. Action on this,
however, was delayed until after the
annual auditing of the books, In order
that the board may have definite