Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-05-16
Steering Group
Named 10 Study
Committee to Make
Recommendations on
Manager Plan


County Government Study Com
mission was named last night at
the groups organization meeting.
David Lawrence, Washington COL
umnist, was named chairman of
the committee.
Walter c. Grain, elected COM
mission chairman at the meeting
in the Fairfax Circuit Courtroom,
rSmed L. S. Travis and Mrs. Jean
White Of Dranesville District; Ru-
fus Coldwell. of Lee District: Alec
Haight and Mr.. Lawrence of Gen.
treville District; Martin T. Webb
of Falls Church District, and
State Senator Andrew w. Clarke
a member at large, to the Steer
ing Committee.
The commission, made up of
three members from each of the
county's six magisterial districts
and three at large. was appointed
recently by the Board of Super
visors. Its membership includes
Democrats and Republicans and
both proponents and opponents
OF a change in the present form of
government.
Referendum Sought.
More than 2,10O voters recently
petitioned Circuit Court Judge
Paul E. Brown to set a date for
a referendum on the question of
changing the governing structure
to the county manager form.
Judge Brown has not yet set a
date.
Much of the discussion last night
centered around the exact pur-
pose of the commission.
Senator Clarke declared its pur-
pose is to study the present system
and possibly make recommended
tions for further detailed studies
of various phases, such as taxa
ton.
Gladstone Butler asserted that
If the commission studies forms
of government 1--WE can't avoid
getting into taxes"
Martin T. Webb said the group
must compare the forms of gov
eminent which are available to
Fairfax and their costs.
Question of Duty Raised.
Senator Clarke declared figures
placed before the commission
should come either from a sub
committee or from an expert en-
ployed by the commission.
Carl A. Marshall, commenting
on a suggestion that proponents
and opponents of a change in
form Of government present argu-I
ments to the commission, as
serted:
II didn't understand this COM
mission was to referee a bout be-
tween opponents and proponents
OF the county manager form"
Mr.. Lawrence posed a number
OF questions, stating he is "at a
loss to understand what our
duty is"
"Are we here to recommend leg
islation or to recommend to the
supervisors a course of action?
1.-THE starting point may be,
What's wrong with government in
this country?' The scope of our
commission may be to find the
best way of improving county gov
ernment-not necessarily choosing
between FORMS" Mr.. Lawrence
continued.
Must First Hear Facts"
IF that is our objective, then
we've first got to hear facts. The
last thing we may do is to study
forms"
Mr.. Lawrence then moved ap-
pointment of the seven-man steer
ing committee.
w. B. Speck, field secretary of
the League of Virginia Counties,
said the Bureau of Public Admin
istration of the University of Vir-
GINA is the most informed source
to which the commission can turn.
Members of the commission are:
Providence district-Mr. Mar
shall. William West. John W.
Rust.
Dranesville-Charles e. Gard
ner. Mr.. Travis, Mrs. White.
Lee-Mr. Coldwell, French
Fleming, Ira Cochran.
Centreville-Mr. Haight, Mr..
Lawrence. William S. Elgin.
Falls Church-Vernon Lynch,
the Rev. Milton Shepherd. Mr..
Webb.
Mount Vernon-Mr. Grain: Mr..
Butler, Mrs. William Devers.
At large-Senator Clarke, Doug
las A. Clark. DR.. George J. Shulz.