Evening star., 1950-10-15
Barber Defends
Fairfax County, 5
Present Setup
Points to Economy
In Government,
Praises Police
By jones BirchfieId

painted" by advocates of govern
ment reform.
Declaring the county has beer
operated on a sound, economical
basis, William Barber, Franconis
civic leader, said the present
executive secretary system at
tempts to give the people ade.
quate government at the loves
possible cost.
Meanwhile, charter member!
and former officers of the County
Taxpayers Advisory Association
criticized the association actor
in favoring the county manager
plan of government for tht
county.
On November 7 voters will de-
eide whether to adopt that plan
the county executive plan or re-
tain the present executive secre.
tary system.
Says Board Kept Pace.
In his plea to voters to retair
the present Fairfax government
form. Mr.. Barber said the Boart
of Supervisors has kept pace witt
the growing needs of the count!
insofar as funds would permit.
He said it would have been cas-!
for the board to grant all i'm.
provementS now being asked b,
reform advocates if the people
had wanted to pay more taxes.
AS an example of his claim o!
government efficiency, Mr.. Barber
said the Fairfax County police
force can be compared with the
police in any county in Virginia
He said it is well operated, free
from graft and without fear OF
favor.
He said the force has kept the
county free of organized gambling
and vice. He added this is 9
record that cannot be claimed BY
many other counties.
The county also has an efficient
sanitary organization, he said, anc
is taking steps to improve sewage
facilities.
Urges Own Charter.
Mr.. Barber said he realized that
any business or government may
be improved but he contendeo
that in making such improve
ments. Fairfax should follow the
example of other communities anc
write its own charter.
Criticlzing the action of the
Taxpayers Advisory Association
eight residents of Providence Dis
trict who said they were charter
members and former officers OF
the association, said the indorse-
ment of the manager plan was
pushed through" at a small meet
ing of the group which had moi
been properly announced.
They said that if number o.
new members had not been ad'
mitted at this meeting. a quorum
of is would not have been avail
able.
The statement was signed b.
John W. Greene, former presiden
and director; Earle T. Muters
baugh, former vice president ant
a director; Nicholas F. YaWorskl
former secretary and a director
Manning Gasch, former treasure
and a director, and former di
rectors. Col. H. w. T. Eglin, Rober
S. Billups, John C. Mackal ant
Everett M. GerWig.
Two Leaders Named.
Asserting that the resolution
indorsine county manager wa
pushed through by the presen
president and vice president OF tn
association. Edward Gibbons AM
George Kirkley, the statement sat
Mr.. Gibbons admitted he named
committee to study the matte
after, rather than before the reso
luton was adopted.
The statement pointed out tn
associations previous policy ha
been not to indorse any propose
on such a vital matter unless
substantial majority of its mem
bers favored it.
A subsequent meeting broke VI
in an uproar over the issue, tn
statement said, thus proving tina
substantial support of the man
ager pan was not present.
The statement said Mr.. Glib
bons has continued to refuse t.
entertain a motion to reconside
the issue and has continued to is
sue statements that the assocla
ton Endorsed the county manage
plan after long and careful study
Rest of Statement.
The statement said further:
1.-The major sources of revenu
of Fairfax County are taxes OF
the property of it's residents ant
the proceeds of bond issues. TIL
tax levies and the bonds are lien
on the homes and other propert
of the county.
Apartment jewellers and othe
tenants, by voting for supervisor
favoring heavy government ex
penditures or by voting for bon
issues, can publicly mortgag
other peoples homes and bushes
properties.
"The County is already face
with a serious threat to the Sc
curity of it's property owners fror
excessive bond issues because
large part Of the voting strengt
comes from tenants or temporar
residents. So far as bond issue
are concerned, this situation wi
not be affected by either Of tn
proposed new forms of county gov
ernment.
Power Concentration Charged
THE proposed county manage
form of government, howeve
through it's countrywide metho
of election of the Board of Super
visors would tend to place mol
power to spend tax money in tn
hands of those providing the lea!
proportion of the tax revenues