Evening star., 1947-05-15
1B|ug|ssFigbih 4
Arlington Plan
On School Board
Prosecutor Reveals
His Opposition to
Bond Issue, Also

LCIlkIfUI1WGdltAl <aee0AAASJ ~S"
renee Douglas of Arlington an
uounced last might that he opposes
changing the method of naming the
County school Board. At the same
time, the County Civic Federation
appointed special committee to get
out the vote to support q change.
Referendum will be held May n
on whether the board shall continue
to be selected by a court-appointed
school Trustee Electoral Board, be
chosen by direct election by the
voters or to appointed by the County
Board. The voters also will decide
that day on a proposed $6,0o0.0Oo
bond issue for general county I'M
provements and a $5,l50,O00 issue
for school improvements.
The League Of Women Voters OF
Arlingtonsan Alexandria went on
record Yesterday in favor of direct
election of School Board members
and the proposed school bond issue.
The league declared that "circum-
stances peculiar to Arlington at the
present time make it imperative to
but the School Board under direct
voter control"
Opposes Bond Issues.
Mr.. Douglas also announced ms
opposition to the two proposed BOND
issues at a meeting of campaign
workers of the Greater Arlington
Associafaon in the Virginia High
lands Firehouse. The association
voted to oppose both bond issues
after having previously objected 10
the schol board change.
The federation's Executive Com
mittee' announced the following
committee to muster votes for direct
election of school board members:
M. r. Mccormick, chairman; MRS.
Paul Myatt, Mrs. Howard Murphy
william Tickle, DR.. Victor Meyers,
Fred Bach and Logan L. Ratl1n.
"The civic federation has been
fighting for years to eliminate the
present archaic method of selecting
the scfol board" MIR. Mccormick
said. mo other city nor any otner
county manager form OF govern
ment in Virginia is saddled With
this outmoded method. In a re-
cent. study the National Education
Association found that IS per cent
Of the school systems of the United
states give their people a voice IN
their own affairs through direct
election of school board members.
viii Not Run Again.
Mr. Douglas, who has announced
he win not run again, declared ne
is opposed to the bond issues because
the county heretofore "has been
committed to policy OF pay-as-
you-go for its public improvements.
He said that If the method OF Sc
Iecting the school board Is changed
and the bond issues passed, It VIII
mark the advent Of an entirely new
philosophy Of government in the
community. He said the pay-as-
vou-go system will be gone, as VIII
be the comparatively low taxes
which, he said, Arlington enjoys.
Mr.. Douglas was introduced by
Calvin Haley, secretary to Repre-
sentative Smith, Democrat, Of Vir-
ginia, who said he had joined the
Greater Arlington Association.
Defeated Candidate Present
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Douglas
talk, Harrison Mann, candidate for
the House of Delegates In the Au-
gust Democratic primary and a
proponent of the bond issues and
the direct election of school board
members, asked If the organization
was interested in hearing both sides
OF the question.
Mr.. Haley replied. I'm not in
terested In anything you have to
say"
Mr.. Mann retorted that If they
were not interested he did not want
to butt in on closed corporation"
The Greater Arlington Association
disclosed its Steering COMMITTEES"
comprises William s. Hoge, jr.;
Jack Jones, Lawrence Michael, de-
feated Republican candidate for
Representative Smiths seat; DR.. E.
L. Kirkpatrick, former member of
the school Trustee Electoral Board,
and William P. Ames, former Re-
publican member Of the County