Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-17
COUNTY MANAGER
SYSTEM FAVORED
Arlington Civic Federation to
Seek November Election
| Test on Change.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
LYON PARK, va, September IT,
Accepting the report of its Legislative
and Legal Action Committee, the Ar
n lington County Civic Federation at an
adjourned meeting here last night IA
vored the abolition of the present form
of county government, the setting up of
the county manager form, with cleo
ton Of the county board at large. and
made plans for an election campaign
to bring about the desired change
The committee, Of which Robert N.
Anderson is chairman, and which sub
mitted its report after several months
Of exhaustive study of all forms of To-
cal government available to Arlington,
Including incorporation and the modt-
fied commission form, in addition to the
co; ~ty manager plan, was authorized by
votI to circulate the petition calling for
the election and instructed to organize
for campaign for the dissemination Of
information relative to the proposal.
win Submit Proposal.
It was decided to put the matter up
70 the voters at the regular November
election. When question of date for
holding the election was introduced 1t
was found that opinions varied, some
feeling it should follow by several
months the regular election to give the
voters sufficient time to ascertain all
the facts in the case, and others hold
ing that early in December would be a
propitious time. Still others took the
stand that all there is to know about
the matter can be learned by November.
Advocates Of the latter date won many
supporters to their side when they
forcefully called attention to the fact
that sentiment Is so strong for q change
that there is a possibility Of the question
being put through under other leader
ship and that by having the question
placed on the November ballots they
would save the expense Of special cleo
ton, estimated at $500.
Under the law the petition calling for
the election must contain the sigma
lures Of 200 qualified voters.
The question of a change in the form
of government and the desirability of
adopting the county manager plan was
thoroughly discussed two weeks ago,
and little time was lost last night in
approving these two recommendations.
Question Of Elections.
The recommendation Of the commit
bee with respect to the election at large
Of the five persons who will constitute
the county board did not, however, fare
50 we'll much time having been given
tn discussion Of the comparative
merits of election at large and election
by districts, choice of which is left to
the voters under the act.
John K. White of the walkers
Chapel Association expressed the view
that election by districts would be more
advantageous to the thickly populated
areas than the sparsely settled sections
by reason Of the larger voting power.
He declared that when It came to the
election Of members of the county board
the outlying districts would have little
or no part in their selection
There is feeling in the outlying
sections" he said, that our I votes
would count for nothing. We feel that
we would be relieved OF our franchise,
as far as our officials are concerned"
Speaking in favor Of the magisterial
district plan, which is the present
method Of selecting board members, Mr..
White expressed the view that this
would be the best method, providing the
districts could be equally divided as to
population. He stated that II the out
lying sections could be embraced into
districts that overlap densely popu-
lated areas the proportion Of repre-
sanitation for the outlying sections
would be larger than If the officials are
voted for at large.
Argues for Whole County.
Answering Mr.. White, Hugh McGrath,
q member OF the better government
committee" in an effort to dispel the
fears Of the citizens in outlying districts,
declared that members Of the board who
are elected at large will have a wider
prospectus in that they will look 10 the
county as a whole for support and be
responsible to the county as q whole in
matters of administration. The outlying
districts are further protected, he said,
by the fact that the election districts
must each have voting population Of
5000 and be contiguous.
@. K. Lewis, a member Of the COM
fnittee, speaking in favor Of election at
large asserted that under this system
the county will be able to get men who
will not have a community point of view
but viii look upon the county as a unit.
This system will permit the county to
get away from log-rolling and trading
and TO get an equal representation for
every voter.
IF we can get the right kind Of men
Tor the positions" John A. Petty de-
clared I'VE should not care where they
come from. II we elect by districts, we
will be confronted with the same con-
ditions that we have today. Under the
district system a man may be liked in
his own district but undesirable to the
GUILTY do - NilOit. GiCNb db 4hl &c anu
we can more readily get rid Of him"
Effect on Candidates.
Arthur Orr, another member Of the
committee. declared that unless the
method of electing Is changed the gov
eminent reform proposal will be Of no
material benefit. Election at large, he
Eaid, puts the citizen, no matter where
he lives, in a stronger moral position.
~The man who aspires to place on the
board will look to every voter in the
county for support. not that he lives
around the corner or a mile away, and
that Is the thing that counts" he said
Mrs. Florence e. Cannon, another
member Of the committee, declared that
abe had to be convinced that election
at large was the thing. She said that
election by districts will make "the po-
btical machine" function more eftlci-
emily.
This phase Of the proposal finally
carried by an overwhelming majority
Each recommendation of the commit
tee was voted on separately, followed by
ABORTION Of the report as whole after
q few minor amendments had beer
made. The final vote was unanimous
The supplementary report Of the