Evening star., 1950-01-13
MeasureDrafted
ToAid Crowded
Arlington Court
Another Would Offer
Fairfax Voters New
Plan of Government
BY Alex K. Preston
Stor Stoff correspondent

RICHMOND. Va, Jan. 13.-
Northern Virginia legislators to-
day were preparing a number of
bills affecting their home areas as
the Virginia General Assembly
took what is probably the only
three-day recess of the current
session.
Among laws being drafted are
a proposition to relieve the over
crowded conditions in Arlington
Circuit Court. Another would
offer Fairfax County voters a new
plan of government similar to the
Arlington plan.
When the Legislature recon-
venes at noon on Monday, it will
receive the budget message of
Gov. Tuck. who is retiring from
Office. On Wednesday, John S.
Battle, former State Senator from
Charlottesville, will succeed Gov.
Tuck as the States chief execu-
tive in elaborate inaugural cere-
monies at the capitol.
Bar Backs Proposal.
The move to relieve Judge WAL
ter T. Mccarthy of Arlington Cir
cult Court of a part of his over
crowded docket has the backing
of the County Bar Association.
Similar proposals to provide re-
lief for Judge William P. Woolls
Of Alexandria Corporation Court
and Judge Paul Brown of Fairfax
Circuit Court have been proposed
but apparently have not advanced
as far as the Arlington proposal.
Delegates j. Maynard Magruder
and George Damn and State Sen
ator Charles R. Fenwick, all of
Arlington. are studying the court
problem.
They are considering either the
establishment of a separate court
or the appointment of a second
Judge.
Prepares Fairfax Bill.
State Senator Andrew w. Clarke
said he hopes to have ready for
introduction on Monday a bill
giving Fairfax County a choice of
government.
This is one Of the measures re-
quested of him and Delegate
Edwin w. Lynch, also of Fairfax,
by the County Board of Super
visors.
The supervisors have recon-
mended changing the existing
law giving voters a right to de-
eide whether to- abandon the
supervisor form of government in
favor of either a modified COM
missioner plan or a county
manager plan"
Arlington Protected.
One of the significant features
Of the county manager plan is
this:
Arlington, which operates under
county manager system, is pre-
tected from annexation by either
Alexandria or the City of Falls
Church because of a provision
which states that no portion of
the county may be taken in by
a city unless the entire county is
taken in as a whole, and then only
after a referendum approved by
a majority of the voters.
Failure to include sucn a pro-
vision in the Fairfax County plan,
therefore, would not affect con-
templated annexation plans by
either Alexandria or Falls Church
to take in additional Fairfax
County territory.
Fairfax Move Defeated.
Once before, the Fairfax Coun-
ty legislative delegation tried to
pass a law that would grant "im-
munlty" from annexation such as
Alexandria and Arlington now
possesses but the effort was quick
ly stamped out by the Alexandria
and Arlington delegations with
the support of other members of
the Assembly.
There are other differences be-
tween the county manager plan
for Fairfax and the one which
Arlington already has. Among
them are:
The governing body. designated
as the Board of Supervisors. would
be elected by magisterial districts
instead of at-large. The trial JUS.
tice would not be elected, as in
Arlington. The county managers
executive and administrative pow
ers would be subject to confirma-
ton by the supervisors. There
would be no provision for the
manager submitting a budget.
Other Bills Suggested.
Among other proposed bills sug.
gested by the Fairfax supervisors
were the following:
To increase the salaries of su.
pervisers from 81 ZOO to s2,40o 6
year, to raise Welfare Board mem.
bers' salaries to $500 a year. tt
raise the salary of the county:
member of the District Home
Board Gin Manassas from 81 tx
$40 per diem, to impose license
of 500 a year on each trailer rer.
manently occupying space il
trailer camps, transfer of the ap.
pointment of the police chief ane
members Of the Police Depart.
ment from the judge of the Circuit
Court to the Board of Supervisers
and establishment of five-mem.
Der Board of Reassessment to re.
place the permanent assessor.
One of the major proposals of.
fered by the supervisors would be