Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-11-22
EVICTION ORDERED
FOR 70 FAMILIES
IN VIRGINIA PARK
Nine Tradesmen Also In
Guided in Demand for I'M
mediate Removal.
u. S. AGENCY PRESSES
FOR CLEARING OF LAND
Deeds Must Be Transferred by
December 26, Pending Favor
able Court Verdict.
BACKGROUND


The question OF whether q State
has the right to condemn property
and epict its gunner for the p1r.
pose of turning oDer the land to
the Federal Government dlOdits de-
cision in the Supreme Court. 1t
arose from Virginid'S attempt to
order removal of families dUeHing
in those parts OF Seren counties
which make up the Shenandoah
National Park, 10-yedr- project.
UnUilling to aUdit Supreme Court
action, Virginia nolU orders eU1c-
ton OF more Park dtGellerS.
By the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, November 22.-There
was anger and CONSERVATION in the
Virginia Blue Ridge Mountain country
today as the Commonwealth Of Vir-
GINA moved to evict 90 families and Q
tradesmen who have refused to leave
the Shenandoah National Park.
Their removal by officers of the law
was ordered last night by Wilbur Hall,
chairman of the State Conservation
and Development Commission, at the
insistence of the National Park
Service.
Hall said he was advised by Arno
B. Cammerer, director of the National
Park Service, that the Federal agency
had and would take the position, as
Stunning a favorable decision in the
Via case. that the State of Virginia
must have certain people evicted from
the Shenandoah National Park before
they would accept the transfer of the
area to the Federal Government"
Must Act Promptly.
The case of Robert H. Via, who con-
tended that the State had no right to
condemn his Albemarle County land
for the park, is now under considera-
ton in the United States Supreme
Court, from which a decision is ex.
pected in the near future.
I'VE must act rather promptly"
Hall informed w. C. Armstrong Of
Front Royal, attorney for the COM
mission. because the deeds transfer
ring the park, which have been de-
livered in escrow, provide that they
must be accepted within one year
from the date thereof, and the deeds
were dated on December 26, 1884"
Some Of the families have been
living unmoleSted on State land In
the park so long that they think it
actually belongs to them" said ]. r.
Lassiter, superintendent of the park,
after a conference here yesterday
afternoon with Mr.. Hall. "One man
said, I own as far as can see.'"
Plead for Cooperation.
Friends, neighbors, Federal, State
and county officials, and even minis
tiers. have pleaded with them to CO.
operate with the State and adhere to
the permit requirement" he said, ex-
planning that the adamant ones would
have been allowed to remain under
certain restrictions # they had signed
permits.
Nine owners of lodges, restaurants
and filling stations In the park domain
must get out in 80 days.
The 20 families against whom Mr..
Armstrong will prepare eviction orders
for sheriffs include four in Page
County, one in Albemarle, nine in
Madison and six in Rockingham.
II anticipate no trouble" said Las
sitter. The park superintendent adj
mitted there has been a lot of talk.
ing and that attempts to deal with
the families involved had met with
stern rebuffs
The State encountered bitter oppo-
sition in removing Melanchthon Cliser
from his home and store in Page
County last month, officers being
forced to handcuff him and lead him
away.