Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-03
BALL GIVES VIEWS
ON CHANGE IN RULE
Opponents Say None Of
County 0fficehoIders Open
Iy Support Plan.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CLARENDON, Va, November 3.-All
doubt as to State Senator Frank L.
Balls attitude toward the question of a
change of form of county government,
which Is to be decided at the regular
election tomorrow, was removed today,
when he issued statement putting
himself on record as unequivocally in
favor OF the county manager plan, with
election of members Of the county
board at large.
Senator Ball sponsored in the State
Senate the enabling act under which
the question will be decided at the polls
tomorrow, but 1t was felt by many that
he did so at the insistence of civic
leaders among his constituency and not
because he thought a change Of govern
ment was desirable.
Manager Form Not an Experiment.
The question of change in form Of
county government Senator Ball states,
should be studied entirely separate and
apart from the personalities of the off,
Gals, either present or prospective, and
its adoption should not be considered as
a criticism of the official actions of any
one.
He declares that the county manager
form, with the council elected at large,
offers the best features of the most ap-
proved modern forms of municipal gov
eminent. 1t is not an experiment, he
states, but has been tried with success
by the most progressive cities OF
Virginia.
After a careful examination of NUM-
cipal government" Senator Ball con-
tinued, land eight years experience as
a county official unhesitatingly COM
mend this form for the county of Ar
lington. We need to think and act as
q county unit. We have been doing
this in school matters since 1928, and
certainly no one can say that this has
not been the most progressive school
era in Virginia. BY abolishing the old
magisterial districts we can remove the
last veStige Of sectionalism in our public
affairs, eliminute district funds and dis
trict jealouSies and contentious, and
work solely for the benefit of the entire
county
All Have Voice in Board.
"The governing board elected at large
will give to each voter the right to
voice in the election of those who con-
troll his affairs. 1t does not mean that
the thickly settled communities shall
elect all of the representatives, but it
does mean that residents of such COM
munities shall not be denied the right
to vote for representatives to attend to
their business. 1t will eliminate the
present situation where the residents of
Washington and Jefferson districts, hav-
ing combined population of less than
one-half that of Arlington district,
nevertheless, elect two out of three
members of the board of supervisors
and can at any time control the board
against the wishes of the majority of
the electorate of the county.
Our experience has shown that Off
GERS elected at large are often chosen
from the thinly settled portions of the
county. Two out of the last three COM
monwealth's attorneys have been elected
from sections far removed from the
true of the sheriff's office. We have
never had treasurer from the heart
of thickly settled section. From our
own local history any student will see
that there is nothing in the argument
that the smaller communities will be
overlooked. My own feeling is that
1t is the best way to guarantee them
proper representation. .
Increased Cost Talk a Myth.
IT am also convinced that the talk
OF increased cost of Government and
increased taxes is a myth There is no
necessity for any increase to put this
form of government in effect. The pos
sibility Of increase of taxes is about the
same under the new as under the old
form, and there is little hope Of any
decrease under either form.
1T Is better business method to
handle our affairs under the proposed
form than under the old, and some
economies should result. It at least
does away with the possibility of pass
ing the buck and definitely places the
public finger on the man responsible for
the executive work of the county.
The new county government act
gives no greater authority for the levy
ing of license taxes on automobiles,
businesses and professions than is pos
sessed by the present Board of Super
visors, and the likelihood Of levying
such licenes taxes would not in the