Evening star., 1943-06-23
Arlington COP
Noninates Full
County Ticket
Ex-Democruts Get 4
Places; Representative
Government Stressed

-
! Government Stressed
Demanding return to the prin-
ciples Of representative local and ma =
tional government, Arlington County
Republicans last night nominated a
full slate of candidates for county
ofrces in the November 2 elections,
the list including at least four men
who have been active in Democratic
circles.
The party's candidate for State
Senator is George M. Yeatman,
Clarendon hardware dealer and for
mer Democratic member of the
County Board, who was chosen over
Mrs. Leonie M. Gilbert. Arlington
clubWoman and civic worker.
Others with Democratic affiliations
who will be supported by the Repub-
lican party at the polls this fall in
clude Ralph Remington, accountant
and former deputy county clerk, can
dldate for clerk of the Circuit Court !;
H. Leland Gaines. county jailer, who
defeated Joseph Dove as candidate
for sheriff. and John Paul Jones, at
torney and former president of the
county Young Democratic Club, who
was unopposed as candidate for
judge of the County Court.
Green Unopposed.
John Locke Green. incumbent, was
unoppoSed as candidate for county
treasurer and William p Ames, Ar
lington lumber dealer. and Miss
Anna F. Hedrick, attorney, were un-
opposed as the party's candidates for
the county'S two seats in the House
of Delegates
Leroy B. Rider, chairman of Ar
lngton precinct, was unopposed as
candidate for commissioner of rev.
enue, and Henry Clay, attorney, and
William AyreS, Rosslyn agent for the
Washington & Old Dominion Rail-
road, were the party's unopposed
candidates for the two seats on the
County Board.
In a contest for Commonwealth's
attorney Orin R. Lewis won the
nomination over j. Foster Hagan by
vote OF " tC 10.
In a nine-point platform based on
a demand for sound money, free
dom of enterprise, impartial local
and national government and
strict adherence to the Constitution
and the Bill of Rights, Arlington
Republicans declared in favor of
equal opportunities for women, and
demanded an amendment to the
State constitution allowing judges
to be elected by the people, as is
done IN more than 40 States"
Precinct Representation Asked.
Declaring in favor of electing a
representative on the County Board
from each of the IL precincts, the
platform condemned the stagger
system in the election of board
members as devised to perpetuate
the same group in Office
We denounce our representatives
in the legislature the platform
stated, "for their attempt to change
our form of government by incor-
poration, in collusion with a ma ajoritv
of the County Board at a secret
meeting in the Office of the county
manager attended by members of
the County Board, to carry out the
conspiracy. The proposed change
was to increase taxation and tighten
the hold of the county manager"
The platform further stated that
the system adopted by the County
Board of sidestepping responsibility
by referring everything important
in government to the county mana
ger has made the county manager
the governor and legislator for the
county and has changed him from
a servant of the people to an in
dependent ruler. too busy to be seen
or consulted = ="
The platform also demanded that
the county manager "obev all laws
in the publication of disbursement
OF county funds objected to "pri-
vate meetings of the County Board" :"
and advised the abolishment of the
State income tax, a 25-cent reduc-
ton in the county levy and a 20
per cent reduction in the county
water rates
Z00 Attend Meeting.
Striking the keynote of the con-
vention. which drew more than 200
Republicans to the Lyon Park Com
munity Hall, Mr.. Green called on
Republicans to join for the purpose
of "rectifying some of the ills in
county government which can be
so readily seen
IF We are to preserve purely local
government to the fullest ex-
tent Mr.. Green said, I'VE should
give attention to the method now in
practice of electing County Board
members at large. 1t is unnecessary
to point out that under this method
large communities in various parts
of the county do not acquire the
right to strictly local self-govern-
ment.
This could be remedied by the
election of one board member from
each precinct in the county. Action
on this measure should be taken at
the next election"
Charging that the county manager
remains as inaccessible to the public
"as the Chief Justice of the United
States Supreme Court" Mr.. Green
said this Officer seems to disregard
the principle that he is purely an
administrative executive of the
people"
For instance" he said, "it ap-
pears that Ire does not consider it
necessary, or even wise, that the
statutes in respect to publishing dis
bursements be taken into consider
alton.
What this amounts to in effect"
he added, lis that since he is clerk
of the County Board, as we'll as
county manager. he spends the
money, approves the accounts him.
self and initiates the disbursements
leaving the board, so far as practice
is concerned, to be merely a ratfy-
ing committee"
Calls for State Tax Cut.
Pointing out that Federal taxes
may be expected to grow larger dur
ing the war, Mr.. Green said Repub-
licanS should press for a reduction
OF at least Is per cent in State in
4 Nn