Evening star., 1950-05-30
.Fina|Appea|s
Back Fairfax
School Bonds
Judge Tosses Out
Effort to Concel
Vote Tomorrow

FINAL appeals for votes were
made today as Fairfax County
prepared to decide whether it will
issue SOS million in school bonds
and S9So.00o in bonds for court
house improvements. including Q
new jail.
The referendum will be held to-
morrow from 7 am. until 7 pm.
Voting on the two bond issues will
be on separate ballots.
Principal interest continued to
center on the school proposal.
which cleared the last barrier yes
terday. Judge Paul E. Brown took
Just IS minutes to toss out of Cir
cult Court a taxpayers plea that
he cancel the referendum.
Judge Brown said John H.
Kings petition was based on as
sumptionS" and had no legal
standing. He said the allegations
made by Mr.. King had nothing
to do with the referendum tomor-
row and would come within the
jurisdiction of a special annexa-
ton court.
Big Vote Urged.
The taxpayer argued that since
Falls Church and Alexandria are
trying to annex land from Fair
fax county residents should not
act upon the school bond issue.
Judge Brown and Circuit Judges
j. r. H. Alexander and Burnett
Miller will hear the Falls Church
annexation case June 10.
When the court rejected Mr..
Kings last-minute effort to block
the referendum. a leading advo-
cate of school bonds urged citizens
to rally for a big vote tomorrow.
II hope" said Newell Blair.
that the courts action clarifies
the situation and that there will
be no more efforts to confuse the
voters. We can nov, have the elec-
ton and then get our long over
due new schools"
Clarke Supports Bond Issue.
State Senator Andrew Clarke.
who represents Fairfax and Alex
andria at Richmond, threw his
support behind the sos million
bond issue.
There is no question" he said.
about the school conditions being
terrible. I have made personal
investigation of them and know
some are firetraps, some are huts
and teachers are unable to provide
adequate and proper instruction
in them. We are not living in
times when children should have
to go to school on halliday
sessions"
Senator Clarke said. however.
that some of the criticism aimed
at county authorities Is unjusti-
fed. He said Fairfax caught the
full brunt of an enormous build
ing program which no one could
have foreseen. Consequently. he
said, no governing body could have
mapped a long range program for
adequate schools.
He expressed hope that in 1852
the General Assembly will enact
revenue producing legislation
which will provide large enough
return to localities to liquidate the
bonds. Senator Clarke said sales
tax would do that.
Lynch Gives Support.
Senator Clarke said that inter-
est charges on the bond issue
would not become payable until
after bonds are issued, and they
will be issued on a gradual basis.
as building contracts are let.
Delegate Edwin Lynch Is among
other elected officials who are
backing the school bonds. Most
officeholders have refrained. how
ever. from taking public stands
on the question. Edward Uhler
of Annandale. chairman OF the
county Democratic Executive
Committee. said his group does
not set policy and is not active
in the referendum campaign.
Sheriff John Taylor came for
ward with reasons for approving
the courthouse building bond is
sue. He said one of the improve
ments that would be possible. on
adoption. is a new Jail. He noted
that the antiquated lookup still
used by the county has been the
scene of two major jailbreaks
within the last two years. Two
others were thwarted in the same
period.
He said the present jail lacks
suitable quarters for OBTAINING
juveniles, inadequate facilities for
females and no space for the
of petty offenders and
those held for more serious crimes.