Evening star., 1947-05-23

Wv Ill HHIyiW
Fight Explained
Both Sides in Bond
Controversy to Get
Access to Plates
The question Of how the mailing
list Of the Arlington County Demo-
cratic Committee was obtained
without authorization by opponents
Of an erected county School Board
and q proposed 5000, 900 school
bond issue was solved today.
Calvin Haley. secretary to Repre-
sentative Smith, Democrat OF Vir-
ginia, appeared before the commit
tee last night and said he had
obtained use of the Democrats
mailing list for the Greater Airing
ton Association. Mr.. Haley is a
member of the association.
The Democratic Committee
promptly adopted a resolution dis
claiming any part in the School
Board and bond controversies on
which voters will ballot In Tues
days referendum The committee
voted to make Its addressograph
plates available to the opposite
groups "as public service
Three Candidates Not Approached.
The committee said the plates
would be made available to the
Citizens Committee for School
Improvement and the Arlington
County Civic Federation, which In
dorse an elected School Board and
the bonds, ito the same extent
they had been used by the Greater
Arlington Associations
Mr.. Haley said he had obtained
permission to use the plates from a
member of the committee, but had
not approached Chairman j. May
nard Magruder, candidate for re-
election to the House Of Delegates;
Charles r. Fenwick, candidate Tor
the State Senate, or Harrison Mann,
another candidate for the House,
because he did not wish to embar-
rass them.
MIR. Fenwick introduced the reso-
luton last night, he said, to keep
the Democratic Committee out OF
the controversy and to counteract
use of the mailing list by one side.
The preamble stated, "It has come
to the attention of the committee
that without official authorization
their addressograph plates have
been used by one group. ~
Democrats Seek Impartiality.
Mr.. Magruder pointed out he led
efforts In the House OF Delegates
for legislation making Tuesday s
referendum possible. He said he felt
he was serving all the people best by
setting up mechanics necessary to
reach a democratic determination OF
the issue.
The Democrats said their resolu-
ton, proclaiming impartiality, is not
binding to individual committee
members.
Other developments in the issue
that has stirred Arlington as has no
local question in years, included q
mass meeting at the Swanson Junior
High School In which the president
of the Civic Federation asked for a
directly-elected School Board to
"unshackle our schools from poll
tics"
Harold A. Stone, member OF the
Arlington School Trustee Electoral
Board, indorsed a change in the
method of School Board selection
Mr.. Stone is a member Of the court
appointed group which, at present,
names the School Board.
Calls Method Too Indirect
"I have never approved of the
indirect method of selecting School
Board members =" he said "be-
cause it departs from principles OF
representative government in which
7 deeply believe.
st hope voters of Arlington County
will vote to change the present
school electoral system to one which
is more directly responsible to the
people. Each OF the two alternatives
proposed has something to be said
for it.
His reference was to the referen-
dunn question of whether the School
Board shall be elected directly or
appointed by the County Board,
providing most people vote for a
change.
Mrs. Ruby G. Simpson, federation
president, told the rally the ques-
ton is not one OF "do you want
politics but one of do you want
politics by the few or by the many"
She charged school employees are
dominated and used as puppets, T"
many of them unwillingly. She is a
former School Board member.
NEA Man Favors Election.
DR.. Ivan Booker, of the National
Education Association, said that in
recent years there has been a trend
toward elective school boards in
cities throughout the country. He
pointed out that under existing
methods in Arlington the School
Board is four steps removed from
popular control.
He said the question is the most
important single issue in Arlington
in my Is years of residence"
Irwin Schmitt. former superin-
tendent of Davenport, Iowa,
schools, declared he was amazed
to learn that Arlington was with
out kindergartens and full-day ses-
sions in the first and second grades.
Other speakers included Mrs.
Florence Cannon Of the Civic Fed
Grafton, a County Board candidate,
and Mrs. Chester Jones of the
League of Women Voters. About
300 persons attended.
Leafiet Resented.
County Board Member Daniel A.
Dugan said today he resented the
insulting implication" of a leaf1et
issued by the Greater Arlington
Association. Mr.. Dugan said it i'm
plies officers elected by popular vote
are using their positions for personal