Evening star., 1942-09-10
Mayor Opposes
Falls Church
Annexation Plan
Says Population Grows
So Fast Town Doesn't
Need New Territory

Mayor Burns N. GIBSON OF rails
Church, Va, yesterday was the star
witness for Fairfax County in its
defense of the suit brought by the
town of Falls Church to annex about
2,100 acres of county property.
Testifying before three-judge
court in the Fairfax Circuit Court,
Mayor Gibson said he was opposed
to the annexation as needless ex.
penditure of money during wartime.
He also stated that his two reasons
for favoring the move no longer held
good.
When the Town Council first con-
sidered annexation in April, 1941.
the Mayor thought it would enable
the town to increase its population
to 5000 and so to qualify as a
second-class city, and he also be-
lieved it would give the town enough
high school students to permit the
building Of new high school.
Population Spurts.
Since that time the natural growth
of Falls Church has indicated that it
would shortly reach the 5000 popu-
lation mark, and the merger of the
schools with the Fairfax County
schools has, in Mayor Gibson's opin-
ion, solved the school question.
Questioned by former Senator
Frank l.. Ball, one of the attorneys
for the defense, Mayor Gibson, who
is serving his second term, said that
at council meeting on May II he
asked that the town attorney, John
A. K. Donovan, be instructed not
to continue with the annexation
suit. On June the Mayor asked
to be put on record as opposing
the annexation proceedings.
Mayor Gibson said Mr.. Donovan :
had urged annexation on the ground
that Arlington County intended to
ask for an enabling act to become
city and that he believed it would
then attempt to absorb Falls Church
If that town had not achieved the
status Of second class city. He
admitted that at all council meet
ings where annexation was dis
cussed, all council members present
voted in favor of 1t.
Resignation Considered.
Walter I. Young, associate counsel
for Falls Church, asked Mayor Glib
son If he had not suggested re-
signing when Mr.. Donovan told him
that his testimony for the defense
would embarrass the council and
residents of the town. The Mayor
admitted that he had considered
resigning but changed his mind
when he realized that it was his
duty to serve the citizens who had
reelected him in June.
Other witnesses for the defense
testifying before Judge Walter T.
Mccarthy, Judge Philip williams
and Judge j. H. r. Alexander were
officials of Fairfax County.
Joseph Berry, county surveyor.
testified that the land which Falls
Church seeks to annex had grown
more in the last four years than the
town itself. He also pointed out
that there is great deal of unde-
veloped acreage within the corpo-
rate limits of the town. Mr.. Dono-
van attempted to show that this
land was part of several large pri-
yate estates.
New Trunk Sewer Planned.
G. Hubbard Massey, consulting
sanitary engineer, described plans
for the new trunk sewer to be built
by the Federal Works Agency and
to serve Fairfax County. He said
that while Falls Church was not
included in the sewer line, it could
easily be taken care of by the prof.
ect.
Carl R. Mcintosh, Fairfax County
police chief, also testified on county
police work and reported 287 calls
from Falls Church in little over a
year.
In all cases the defense attempted
to show the superior facilities OF
Fairfax County over Falls Church,
and the many ways in which the
county has been called on to render
aid to the town
Commemorative Attorney Paul E.
Brown expects to call on residents of
Falls Church who are opposed to
the annexation as we'll as other
county officials to testify for the
defense. Testimony is expected to
be finished this week.