Evening star., 1947-05-16
Arlington Bonds
BY Dugan
And Campbell
County Board Member
And Predecessor Hit
Referendu Opponents

4 tS5 s
A member Of the Arlington
County Board and the man he sue
ceeded today, indorsed proposed
bond issues and the referendum on
the method Of selecting County
School Board members.
In independent statements, Board
Member Daniel A. Dugan and Ed
mund %. Campbell took issue with
individuals and organizations work
ing for the defeat Of the three ref
erenda which win be voted on May
"a.
AT the same time, 1t was an
nounced that the Arlington Better
Government League, proponents,
and the Greater Arlington Associa-
ton, opponents, will begin q series
Of four radio debates today on the
question OF a directly elected school
board.
Broadcast Scheduled Today.
The initial program will be broad
cast at $40 pm. today over station
WARL.
Mr.. Dugan declared, "the specu-
lators who are financing the propa-
ganda campaign Of the so-called
Greater Arlington Association are
attempting to scare the homeowners
: : into voting against the bond
issues that are absolutely necessary
to make Arlington q decent place
to live"
Mr.. Campbell who served on the
board for seven years during which
he twice was chairman, warned that
defeat Of the proposed bond issue
would be a tragedy which might
set back generation the progress
Of darlington"
Stand Of Douglas Attacked.
Mr.. Campbell asserted he wanted
ITO take the issue squarely" with
Lawrence w. Douglas, Arlington's
Commonwealth's attorney, who
earlier this week opposed all three
referenda. Mr.. Campbell said that
his experience on the county board
had convinced him at is now i'm.
possible to make permanent i'm
provements which are essential to
Arlington's prosperity on a pay-as-
you-go basis and retain tax rate
which would be acceptable to the
people"
mfr. Douglas has stated that If
the method of selecting school board
members Is changed and the bond
issues passed, 1t will mark the adj,
vent of an entirely new philosophy
in the community" Mr.. Campbell
asserted. "In my opinion it will
mark a recognition of the fact that
Arlington is, In effect, a city and Is
no longer a county community"
| Mr.. Dugan denied a statement
that advocates OF the bond issues
@have no homes at stake" He also
declared tenants pay their just share
of taxes through rents "if rental
property Is assessed on the basis Of
40 per cent Of its value as all real
property Is supposed to be-"
Spectators Criticized.
"Most of the financial hackers Of
the Greater Arlington Asso-
citation still have speculative hold
lings on which they do not want to
pay taxes to provide the improve
ments Arlington must now obtain
through bond issues" Mr.. Dugan
asserted. "The time to have had
pay-as-you-go plan for capital i'm
provements was from 1886 to 1946,
when the SPECTATORS were making
their killings and speculative prop
erty was woefully underassessed."
/ Both Mr.. Dugan and Mr.. Camp
bell indorsed change in the meth
cd of selecting school board menu
bers.
/ Plans of the Arlington Education
Association to make radio appeals
and to buy newspaper space" to
fight a change in the method Of Sc
llecting County School Board men-
bers is just one more illustration
OF how stepped in politics the Ar
|lington school system really is"
according to DR.. Oscar r. LeBeau,
president of the Citizens Committee
for School improvement.
/ DR.. LeBeau said the Citizens
Committee is confident" that q
large number Of teachers "are Sc
cretly in favor Of direct election Of
School Board. members. However.
they dare not voice their true feel
| ings openly for fear Of losing their
/ frJne