Evening star., 1935-05-28
800 ISSUE DEMAND
FOR ABOLITION Of
ARLINGTON DUMPS
Citizens Score Proposed
Ordinance and Call for
Enforcement.
DOUGLAS Is ATTACKED
BY SEVERAL SPEAKERS
Upholding Of Present Law by
High Court and Lack of
Prosecutions Cited.

Prosecutions ClteQ.
The proposed new ordinance for
regulation of burning dumps in Ar
lington County, Va, last night was
unanimously rejected by about 500
citizens, who attended the public
hearing on the measure in the
county court house. In rejecting the
new ordinance, the citizens demanded
the present law be enforced.
At the same time, officials charged
with prohibiting dumps, the operation
Of which is unlawful under a present
ordinance, were roundly scored for
failing TO enforce the law and abolish
the objectionable unsightly and
menacing" dumping lots which flank
the main highways leading into the
Nations Capital.
Douglas Attacked.
Persons prominent in social and
civic affairs spoke in favor of the
present law and against any new law
which, they said. might be subject to
legal attack in the courts. Common
wealth's Attorney Lawrence W. Doug
las, who also was member of the
committee conducting the hearing,
bore the brunt of attacks and criti-
cisms hurled by the indignant citi-
zens.
Answering but twice. Douglas ad
mitted in the first instance that he
did not know who owned the properiy
on which two of the dumps aTs
located, and in the second instance he
declared he was ready to enforce the
Law when the county board reached
a decision on the matter. He said
h ewas not an arresting of1cial and
could only prosecute when offenders
we're brought into court.
Charges Dismissed.
Sheriff Howard B. Fields later as
serted that he had made numerous
arrests for dumping but each time the
offenders were dismissed by the courts.
Speakers we're vehement in their
denunciation of the dumps and at
times injected personalities into the
debate, compelling County Manager
Roy S. Braden, chairman of the meet
ing, continuously to rap for order.
The fight against the proposed
ordinance was led by Emery N. Hos
mer. who obtained the floor first and
recited the record of the adoption of
the first ordinance and the single
prosecution under it. Hosmer strenu-
ously objected to the proposed ordi-
nance, claiming that it was drafted
by friends Of the dump operators. and
vulnerable to legal attack in numerous
places"
In reviewing the record. Hoemer
pointed out that j. H. Houser. operator
Of the Rosslyn dump. had been con-
victed in the County Court and Cir
cult Court and the conviction upheld
by the Supreme Court of Appeals Of
Virginia.
Decision Last Spring.
The highest tribunal handed down
its decision June l9, 1884, in the fol-
lowing language:
The petition of J. H. Houser for a
writ of error to Judgment Of the Cir
cult Court of Arlington County. en-
tered on the 23rd day of October, 1888
having been maturely considered and
a transcript of the record of the judg-
meen seen and inspected, the court
is Of the opinion that the said judg-
ment is plainly right, doth reject said
petition and said writ of error, the
effect of which Is to affirm the judg-
ment of the Circuit Court"
Hosmer declared that although the
high court ruled on this question IL
months ago, nothing has been done
to enforce the law, not even to collect
the fine which the Circuit Court i'm
posed on Houser."
Following Hosmer's defense Of the
present ordinance. John Paul Jones
launched into an attack on the pro-
posed law and demanded that COM
mittee recommend to the County
Board that it be not adopted.
Others Make Attacks.
Then followed similar attacks by
Charles R. Fenwick, representing the
Legislative Committee of the Arlington
County Civic Federation, Mrs. Jesse
Hunt, representing the Organized
Women Voters. and Fred A. Lyons,
resident of Aurora Hills.
Fenwick. however, offered certain
amendments to the new ordinance
should the board adopt it. Mrs. Hunt
objected to consideration of the new
ordinance, declaring that the aboli-
ton of dumps is purely a question OF
law enforcement" She asked Douglas
if he intended to enforce 1t, to which
he replied that he was ready to en-
force it "if the county board decided
that it should be enforced"
After some score of citizens had
expressed their views, including A.
Dexter Davis, Thomas R. Meechem.
Clarence r. Ahalt Frank Campbell
and Walter Hendley, motion was
made from the floor that it "is the
sense of this body that dumps be
abolished forthwith" 1t was carried
unanimously. Votes were taken on
two other motions which sought to
further bind officials to ending the
practice Of permitting Washington
trash men to dump in Arlington.
The next move will be the recon-
rnendations which citizens COM
mittee will submit to the county
board. It was stated today that
recommendations are expected to be
completed for submission to the
board tomorrow morning. Whether
the board will act on the matter at
that time, If recommendations are
submitted, could not be learned.