Evening star., 1948-03-03
BY Alex Z. Preston
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pCtltloN Npp1ORcQ ny 0U per Ccub Oh
property owners within q 500-foot
radius. In the latter case a ma
jority vote would have sufhced.
Sought to Shift Burden.
This would have reversed the pres
ent law which permits ma iority
vote OF the board to affect q zoning
change unless . petition is pre-
sented expressing objections by the
owners Of 20 per cent Of the property
within the area or within 500 feet.
Then 4 our-flfths vote Is required.
Senator Fenwick said the fedora
ton sought to shift the burden Of
proof to the applicant rather than
have adjacent property owners
forced into q defensive act Of filing
protest petitions.
The committee did not approve
this portion of the bill. It did ap-
prove, however, another portion
which removes from the law the
requirement that all signatures to
q petition be notarized. The bill, as
approved, will permit one signer.
who has witnessed the signatures OF
other persons to attest the other
names. ...:
Phillips Opposed Original Bill.
Thomas w. Phillips, Arlington at
torney, was the principal spokesman
against the bill as originally drawn.
In his delegation were William K.
Mcmahon, president; Sidney john
son, vice president, and Paul A. Hill,
secretary, all OF the Arlington
Chamber Of Commerce; Ashton C.
Jones, Calvin Haley, Jack Jones,
Allen G. Adams and William 8. Hoge,
president Of the 'Arlington-Alexari-
dria Fairfax Real Estate Board.
G. Harrison Mann of the Civic
Federation's Legislative and Legal
Action Committee was the main
speaker Tor the proponents. Charles
NJ Smith ut the federations zori-
ing eCeuaznittee and H. H. Howe o1
the Better Government League also
supported the plan rs introduced
Earlier. the Senate passed an6
sent to the Governor 4 bill extend.
ing the State Rent Control Act
1t can be invoked by localities il
Federal controls are raised. Dele
gates j. Maynard Magruder and
George Damn, both of Arlington
were co-patrons of this bill.
Fairfax Police Bill Passed.
Among measures passed and sent
to the House were the FenWick bill
authorizing construction of a Mon
ticello highway between Jefferson,
home ut Charlottesville and Wash
ington.
Another bill, by Senator Andrew
w. Clarke OF Alexandra. would set
up q police trial board and author
lie police manuals for Fairfax
County. ,-.
A similar bill for Arlington
County, but providing only. for q
police trial board, was taken up out
Of order and passed on motion Of
Senator Fenwick.
Senator Clarke figured in a lively
debate before the Senate approved
26 to II, a bill raising the maximum
weight OF trucks with four axles from
0,0o0 to $4,000 pounds on the high
ways.
Senator Clarke said the truckers
have been "the greatest group OF
violators in this State" of the max
iIphm road limit laws. More than
S,700 truckers were arrested and s.
900 were convicted OF violations last
year, he said. ..'. !.
Cites Light ON Phone Pole.
Each week." he told the Senate,
when drive north to Washington
I see . string Of trucks parked along
the highway north of Fredericks-
burg. And I see near them tele-
phone pole with = light burning on
1t. I tell you, from my close knowl-
edge Of the. trucking industry, that
the light means the weighing sta
ton is in operation on up the line
When = spotter lets them know that
the station is clesed, the light goes
of and loads up to 10000 pound,
60 through"
He said he referred to the weigh.
ing station at Woodbridge and later
declared he had obtained his in
formation from State police.
Senator Fenwick said a commit
tee amendment to the bill would
make 1t Improbable to violate the
law In the future. In the past
truckers paid their fines and con-
tinued to overload at 4 profit.
The amendment to which he re.
ferred places . penalty OF $40 on
each 1000 pounds truck is over.
weight.
Mr.. Magruder and Mr.. Damn
asked that one of their bills b
sent back to committee for further
study. It would have amended tn.
public works law to permit loca
governing bodies to issue bonds, bu'
without the necessity OF Fedora
grants being involved. The patron!
said the legislation had been re.
utested by Arlington officials.