Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-12-17
Pinba|I License
OF $500 Added
By Arlington
School Building Cost
Survey Approved
By County Board

An annual license of 5000 will
be required for each pinball ma
chine in Arlington after January
l, the County Board ordered yes
terday.
An attorney for distributor of
the machines said the new levy,
added to a $1,000 county license
for distributors already approved
by the board, will tax us out of
business in Arlington"
The board also granted a School
Board request by authorizing the
University of Virginia to make a
study of school construction costs
In the county.
The boards vote on the new
pinball machine license was unan-
imous.
Hirsh de La Viez, Washington
pinball machine distributor, said
the high licenses would not stop
operation of the devices because
individual merchants would buy
them, avoiding the $1,000 distribu-
tors tax.
Games Differentiated.
The higher licenses will be in
Guided in a revised business license
tax ordinance. Pinball machines
are not specifically mentioned but
Commo1wealth's Attorney Den
man T. Rucker, who drafted the
amendments, told the board that
a provision applying to games
where the element of chance pre-
dominates over the element of
SKILL" is aimed directly at pin
balls.
The study of Arlington school
construction costs will be made
by the University's Bureau OF
Public Administration.
The School Board has taken
number, of steps to obtain addi-
tional information and opinion
on the building program since
$7.5 million bond issue was de-
feated last month.
In other business, the board
asked the County Public Utilities
Commission to study report that
residents living near North Har
rison street power substation are
sitting on a potential keg Of
dynamite"
Ask Removal of Station.
Ninety residents of the Harrison
street area petitioned the County
Board to issue an order to the Viz
ginia Electric & Power Co. to re-
move it's substation near Tenth
street.
The board asked for report
at its January 10 meeting on what
action can be taken by the county
to eliminate any hazard created
by the installation.
The residents said they feared
an explosion similar to the one
last month at a Bethesda power
plant. The petition also said that
"unguarded power stations are
targets for enemy saboteurs in
times of national emergency"
Mrs. Florence Cannon, who
acted as chairman of the board
because of the illness of Daniel A.
Dugan, asked County Manager
A. T. Lundberg and the Common
wealth's attorney to join the Pub
lie Utilities Commission in pre-
pairing the report. Mrs. Cannon
also suggested to the group of
about Is residents who attended
the meeting that they consider
a suggestion by Mr.. Rucker that
they employ an attorney to re-
quest an injunction against the
power company.
Park Site Action Deferred.
Action on proposed purchase OF
a 25-acre park site at Fort Reyn-
olds on Shirley highway was de-
ferred until a special meeting
Wednesday.
Purchase of the tract for $780,
900 was approved by Board mem
bers Robert w. Cox and Mrs. Can
non. but F. Freeland Chew and
Alfred E. Frisbie dissented. Mr.
Dugan is expected to attend the
Wednesday night session.
Mr.. Cox said he considered the
purchase "an excellent deal" be-
cause the property is assessed at
1855, 900, which would mean the
county would get the property at
zone fourth of its appraised
value"
Mr.. Frisbie and Mr.. Chew ques-
toned how payment would be
made and they said storm drain
age needs are SO acute that they
could not approve the park pro-
posals at present.
Traffic Law Hearing Set.
The board set January 81 for
hearing on a proposed new traffic
ordinance. The measure. pre-
sented by Judge Hugh Reid and
prepared by him and Judge Paul
D. Brown, would set up separate
traffic court and a special traffic
violations bureau.
The proposed ordinance will be
studied by the County Safety
Council and safety engineer be-
fore the public hearing.
After considering purchase of
the Fort Reynolds park site when
1t meets Wednesday, the board
will go into secret session to con-
tinue its hearing of police in
vestigating committees report.