Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-15

Nearby Eighth Area Facing
Extinction Under Present
Scheme.
BY LESTER n. INSKEEP,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star,

RICHMOND, Va. January 15.-With
the fate of the eighth congressional dis
trict in the balance, Northern Virginia
legislators are girding themselves for
what promises to be one of the bitterest
fights in the history of the General AS
sembly The fight is precipitated by
the required redistricting, whereby Vir-
einia loses one district and one member
of the House Of Representatives.
That the eighth district cannot avoid
being thrown into the midst of the con-
troversy is an admitted fact, since there
is but one smaller district in the State,
that being the seventh, an adjoining
district.
Representative Smith Aids.
A proposed plan that would CONSOLE
date the portion of the eighth district
which is adjacent to Washington, with
a part of the first district, which IN
cludes the city of Newport News, is
causing CONSERVATION among the North
ern Virginia delegation here and Is con-
sidered of such a serious nature that
Representative Howard w. Smith OF the
elg1Ll OSUIlCJ HAS DttIl 4lSlC w @SAAS
his assistance in the fight.
Success of the proposed plan would
result in the formation of district
that would reach from Great Falls to
Newport News. a distance that is estl-
mated at $50 miles, and would result IN
the possible transfer of the political
strength of the present eighth district
to the first district, of which 1t would
become a part under the proposed plan.
While one of the requirements for re-
districting is population, opponents OF
the plan declare, another is compact
ness of territory and this, they believe,
would not be carried out under plan
that would create a district $50 miles
lone The interests of the two remote
ends of the district would be so widely
different, they say, that 1t would be
difficult to get a Representative from
either who would be qualified to care
for the needs of the other.
Population in Affected Districts.
The population basis as revealed in
his address to the General Assembly
by Gov John Garland Pollard is 269,-
O95. The eighth district in its present
form has a population of only 83,934,
while the first district, as now consti-
tuted. has a population Of 239,757, or
less than 10000 under the required
amount.
It is argued by opponents of the pro-
posed change that there is no reason for
splitting up a district that has as near
" the required population as has the
first, when one or two counties ADDED
would bring it up to the required level.
A counter plan is being prepared, 1t
is said, whereby the eighth district
could bring its population up TO the
NJ failing in Greene
Madison and Rappahannock Counties
from the seventh district, Fluvanna
County from the tenth district and
Goochland County from the third dis
trict. The successful elimination OF
such a plan would result in compact
district of the required population.
Blue Ridge Natural Boundary.
This would leave the Blue Ridge
Mountains as a natural boundary on
the west and would permit the con-
solidation of the remainder OF the sew
enth and a portion Of the tenth dis
tricts in such a way as TO throw
greater portion of the Shenandoah VAL
ley into one district. The remainder
of the tenth district would be appor-
toned to the sixth.
Since the greatest loss under this
proposed plan would be to the tenth
district, the bitterest opposition would
arise from that source in case such a
plan is presented, as it now seems GER
tain that 1t will.
Representative Smith is receiving the
vhole-hearted cooperation OF the
Northern Virginia members of the
House of Delegates. Hugh Reid, dele
gate from Arlington County, is expected
to lead the fight against the destruction
of the eighth district, since he has been
in constant communication with Repre-
sentative Smith on the subject.