The Washington times., 1933-12-23
BY JOHN E. TAYLOR

BY JOHN E. TAYLOR
In yesterdays article 80 exist
ing counties were consolidated, for
the purposes Of illustration, into
eight.
Today, going into the territory
around Norfolk and the eastern
North Carolina border, % counties
are consolidated into nine juris'
dictional districts.
However, no effort is being made
At this time to total the financial
costs and savings Of the counties
9avolved.
: These consultations are worked
out on the basis Of population.
Geographical and highway condi'
tdonS also play important parts.
Calculating on these bases, the t.
0ancial savings to the taxpayers
IRE obvious.
Time Means Money
Time means money to anyone
having business with his or her
county government, be he farmer.
merchant or townsman. Modern
highways, railroads, telegraph and
telephones mean a citizen can
communicate with the county seat
much more rapidly today than he
Could at the time Of the formation
0f his county.
These things mean financial
savings to the taxpayer if his
government keeps astride Of mod"
ern communication and transpor-
bation facilities.
But the county government IN
Virginia has not.
In yesterdays and today's
articles, So counties are con-
solidated into II. There are 100
counties in the State.
Mergers Proposed
New Kent, James City, Charles
City, Prince George and Surry,
with a total population Of 45,494,
should be able to support, among
them, one government for all.
The individual populations are:
New Kent, 1900: James City,
T,579; Charles City, 4,881: Prince
George, 21,638, and Surry, 7,096.
Then there are Warwick, with
A3,246, and Elizabeth City coun.
ties, the latter having 26.617
population, for total Of 69,463,
which could be welded.
Sussex, Southampton and Isle
Of Wight, with combined popu-
lation Of 5O,379, could bind their
governments. eliminating two
and save money. Sussex has
12,1OO, Southampton, 26,S7O, and
Isle of Wight, 13,409.
Nansemond county contains the
tndependent city of Suffolk, which
has a population Of 10,271. The
county alone has 22,530 and It
could be combined with Norfolk
county. 37,939, minus the city OF
Norfolk, also independent with a
nopulation of 129,710 and the in
dependent city Of Portsmouth,
population 45,704; and the county
Of Princess Anne, 1922. That
would mean a total population for
the three counties Of 76,751.
Could Be Combined
Greensville, 1888; Brunswick,
2O,4S6, and Dinwiddie. 47,O56, to-
falling So,93o, also could be
combined.
Hanover and Henrico counties,
the latter bordering on the indie
pendent city Of Richmond, have
4 combined population Of 47.419:
The city of Richmond has several
times more population, the 1880
figure being 182,929. These two
counties are offered as exhibits
Ia the practicability and economy
Of consolidation.
Chesterfield, with its 26,049 in
habitants, also borders on Rich
rnond city. 1t could combine with
Powhatan, 6,143. and Amelia,
S,979. for a total Of 41,171, and
have one government for the
three.
The three counties Of Nottoway.
1896; Lunenburg, 14,058, and
Mecklenburg. 32,622, totaling 61.-
546, are calculated to make a
GOOD one-unit government.
The largest population yet sug'
aeSted under one government is
that of a combination Of four
counties. They are: Prince Ed
ward, 1880; Charlotte. 16,061;
Appomattox, 8,402, and Campbell,
63,546. The latter contains the
town of Rustburg, population
about 400. The total is l02,529.
On Monday. the remaining AZ
counties will be illustratively com
bined. These combinations will
bring the total of Virginia coun-
ties to about 80, instead of the
100 now breaking the backs Of
faXnaVerS