Evening star., 1952-01-25
Bid BY Norfolk
For New District
Overwhelmed
Northern Virginia
RoIlies Booking of
Assembly Majority
By Alex R. Preston
Star Sfaff Correspondent

Sfdr Sfoff correspondent
RICHMOND, Jan. 25.-Norfolk's
bid to take the States new 10th
congressional district away from
Northern Virginia ran into over
lwhelming opposition In the Gen.
leral Assembly today.
A House bill, including as spon-
sors more than half the 100 mem
Ibers OF the House of Delegates,
Twill be introduced this afternoon.
An idetnical measure, offered by
Senator Charles r. Fenwick Of
Arlington and half Of the 40
members of the State Senate,
went into the legislative hopper
yesterday. -
This was the answer Of the
Northern Virginia legislators to a
bill sponsored by the Norfolk area
only the day before to take the
10th district away from Arling-
ton, Alexandria, Falls Church and
Fairfax. The Norfolk plan is
supported by five Senator'S and II
delegates.
Biggest headache ahead-no
matter which plan is adopted-is
to get the legislation approved as
Ian emergency act so it will take
effect upon passage.
Filing Deadline Is Factor.
It is imperative that reappor-
Itionment Of representation in
Congress become effective soon.
This is because the filing dead
line is 80 days before the August
primaries. And there is an ad-
Iministration- Endorsed run-of pri-
mary bill now in the mill, which
would move the date of the pri-
mary up to July. Ordinarily, legis-
Ilation passed by the General
Assembly - unless an emergency
clause is included--does not be-
come effective until late in June.
There is no emergency clause
In the Fenwick bill. knowing it
would cause furor. the spcn-
sors are reported to have taken
the position that the bills merits
should be established first and
then an amendment adding the
emergency clause could be tackled
on before passage.
Gov. Battle, at his press confer
ence, said he hopes the redistrict-
ing legislation will carry an
emergency clause and pass the
Legislature. He was careful to
point out, however. he is not in
dorsing any particular plan.
Convention an Alternative.
If a redistricting bill fails to
win a necessary four-fifths vote
to carry it through ass an emerg-
ency measure, there still is q
way that members Of Congress
could be nominated. That would
be by party conventions method
generally regarded as less demo-
cratic but available In a pinch.
The Norfolk plan would include
that city and the counties OF
Princess Anne, Northampton and
Accomack in the 10th District. II
would shift other districts around
so that the smaAest district would
contain $4,000 inhabitants and
the largest 100000.
The Fenwick bill, and the one
to be introduced in the House
today, would give the Second Dis
Itrict 404, 900 inhabitants and the
Eighth District about 1000.
A redistricting commission to
study the problem was authorized
at the 1850 session Of the Legisla-
ture.
It proposed that the 10th Dis
trict be made up Of Arlington,
Alexandria, Falls Church and
Fairfax, with a population OF
303, 900.
Under the commission plan, the
largest district would be the Sec
ond. with 100000, while the small
est would be the Eighth, with
263. 900.
Constitution Provision.
The reason population is such
an important factor in any plan
Ito subdivide the States Congress
sional areas is that the Virginia
Constitution requires that appor-
tionment be on an equal popula-
ton basis. insofar as Is practi-
cable.
At present, the disparity in rep
resentation goes all the way from
507. 900 in the 9th fthe States
largest, from which Mr.. Fenwick
would cut out the 10tn) to 259, ,0OC
in the 4th.
All Of Northern Virginia's sena-
torial delegation was among the
20 Senators who joined in spon-
soring the Fenwick bill, except
Senators Harry F. Byrd, jr., OF
IWfnchester and Curry Carter nf