Evening star., 1951-11-26
Legislators Hill
Virginia Plans
For Redistrictinq
Stiff Fight Promised;
Some Alterations
Labeled Ridiculous
BY the Associated Press

Some members of the General
Assembly whose districts would be
reshuff1ed by the State Redistrict-
ing Commissions proposals have
promised a stubborn fight against
the plan.
And the commissions sugees-
ton for altering the I'd congress
sional district was condemned by
one Norfolk legislator as "ridicu-
lous."
The congressional redistricting
plan came out of the commission
with a bare 5-to-4 majority. It
proposes to carve the new 10th
district out of the present 9th and
alter the makeup of 1st, I'd. Sd
and 4th districts.
Eighth Would Be Smallest.
! Virginia is entitled to, an addi-
tional member in the House of
Representatives by virtue of a
population increase as shown in
the 1850 census. The new 10th
would consist of the counties of
Arlington and Fairfax and the
cities Of Alexandria and Falls
Church.
The ideal congressional district
would have population of $780,
900. But under commission plans,
the 9th would become the
smallest district with 263,354 and
the I'd the largest with 446,200.
Such disparity. say the plans
opponents, would violate the State
CONSTITUTIONS requirement that a
sractical equality in populations
be effected. And they point to a
1882 Virginia Supreme Court de-
.cision tossing out a redistricting
act with less disparity.
The only two Virginia Con-
gressmen who could be reached
for comment-E. j. Robson and
Watkins M. Abbitt-agreed that
the plan was generally good.
Mr.. Abbitt. who represents the
4th congressional district. which
would gain Isle of Wight, Nanse-
mond. Southampton and Suffolk
and lose Powhatan, observed:
Il hope the General Assembly
will find a way that we can keep
Powhatan County. Under the
change, it would be across the
James River from the rest of its
district. and don't think that's a.
good idea. OF course, we welcome
the splendid counties that would
be added to our district"
Representative Affected.
Mr.. Robson remarked that Vir-
ginia's Congressional delegation
would not be disturbed" by the
commissions plan.
But what about Representative
Smith of the 9th. whose residence
in Alexandria would become part
of the 10th.
Democratic Party spokesmen
suggested that Mr.. Smith NAV
move to his Fauquier County farm
and remain in the 9th. The Rep
resentative is now in Europe.
The new proposed 10th. in
cldentally, may take the title
lighting" away from the 9th.
There is heavy concentration
OF liberal Democrats in this area I"
said Thomas Moncure, chairman
of the Alexandria Democratic
Committee, who will probably
fight it out with the conservative
element of the party for the con-
greSsional seat"
Mr.. Moncure predicted victory
Tor the Democratic congressional
candidate-a prediction he based
on his party's victory in this
months elections.
But Nathan J. Paulson. chair
man of the Alexandria Republican
Committee and a member of the
Republican State Central Commit
tee. said the district would send
a Republican to Congress. He
also based his prophesy on past
performance-the 1948 congress
slonal election in which the late
Tyrrell Krum led Mr.. Smith in
the communities which are now
including the new 10th.
Population Disparity Hit.
I Delegate w. Carl Spencer. one
OF four Norfolk lawmakers who
censured the plan as far as the
second congressional district was
concerned, said because of popu-
lation disparity the proposal was
so far out of line that it is
ridiculous"
Delegate Robert Whitehead of
Nelson County, an anti-organiza-
ton leader. objected to the dis
parity in population" in the new
pattern. But he saved his main
artillery for the alteration in his
own area.
The commission called for the
abolition of the present Lynch
burg Amherst floater district-a
program which would leave Dele
gate Harold B. Singleton Of Am
herst in the same district with
Mr.. Whitehead.
Mr.. Whitehead said it would be
unfair to deprive Mr.. Amherst and
Lynchburg of delegate and said
the commission was inconsistent
in abolishing the floater district
But, the Nelson delegate added
the redistricting plan contained
much that is good and worth
while"
The commission adopted the
State legislative redistricting pro-
gram unanimously. The plan
would change 10 Of the present
SO Senate districts and 80 of the
70 House districts.
Republican Senator Ted Dalton
said the proposed division of his
big 21st senatorial district was a
plot to "gerrymander" him out OF
office The cOynnoiccioy, rocoy,o