Evening star., 1952-12-02
Assenb|yBegins
Special Session
On Redistrictinq
Fenwick to Confer
With Bottle on Bon
Against US. Workers
BY Alex R. Preston
Stor Stoff Correspondent

By Alex R. Preston
ssor stoff Correspondent
RICHMOND. Dec. State
Senator Charles r. Fenwick of
Arlington was to confer with Gov.
Battle today to ask him to recon.
mend legislation at the special ses-
sion Of the General Assembly to
give Federal employees the right to
serve in county Offices.
The Legislature was scheduled
to convene at noon with the Gov
ernor delivering a message calling
for fair and reasonable redis-
of the General Assembly
seats. The extra session was
summoned for that purpose.
An Arlington delegation called
on Gov. Battle yesterday to ask
him to recommend that the Fed
eral employe legislation be intro
duced. The Legislature was ex-
pected to limit its business during
the next week or 10 days to redis-
tricting problems and only such
bills as are recommended by the
Governor or those that have
unanimous consent of the State
Senate or House of Delegates.
There is little likelihood that
unanimous consent could be OBJ
tained on the controversial pro-
posal to lift the ban on Govern
ment workers serving in county
Offices. That is why the Arling-
ton legislator plans to call on the
Governor again today. -.
Fenwick Discloses Plan.
Senator Fenwick disclosed the
terms of a bill which has been
drafted. It would permit any
county, on petition of 10 per cent
of the qualified voters, to permit
the practice now prohibited by
State law.
The Virginia Supreme Court Of
Appeals recently ruled in a suit
by Arlington Attorney John Locke
Green that the State law pro-
hibiting Government workers from
holding either State or local Of
fees was constitutional. At the
same time the court upheld Mr..
Green's objection that an excep-
ton to that law for Arlington and
Fairfax Counties was special legis-
lation of a type prohibited by the
State constitution.
This resulted in the unseating
of three Arlington County Board
members.
The proposed new bill seeks to
avoid the courts objection by maxi
ing the focal option" feature gen.
eral-rather than special-legisla-
ton which all counties might use.
The bill deals only with county
offices and would make no change
n the ban against Government
workers in State Offices.
Governor Is Non C Committal.
Gov. Battle, after seeing the Ar
ington delegation yesterday, was
lon -committal as to whether he
would agree to recommend the
bill.
Mr.. Green already has written
the Governor and all members
of the Assembly stating his OBJ
jections to altering the Statewide
ban. Mr.. Green also informed
them that there now is pending a
suit in Arlington Circuit Court di-
rected at county School Board
members who are Federal en-
ployes.
Among those in the delegation
calling on the Governor were, be-
sides Senator Fenwick, Delegate
George Damn, Joseph Cole and
Harrison Mann, both of the Arl-
ington Democratic Party; Reed
Flow and Mrs. Florence Cannon
of the Arlington Civic Federation.
Meanwhile. the Arlington-Alex-
andria- -Fairfax-Falls Church dele
cation laid plans to press for ad-
ditional representation in the Gen.
eral Assembly when the redistrict.
ing proposals come up.
A hearing on two redistricting
bills, to be introduced by House
and Senate committees today, will
be held here at 10 am. tomorrow.
More Delegates Sought.
The delegations will seek total
Of nine Delegates and three Sena-
tors from the area which makes
up the 10th congressional district.
At present. this area Of 303,000
population has only two Senators
with Prince William County, and
four Delegates. Committee bills
going in today would take from
rural areas elsewhere enough rep
resentation to give the 10th dis
trict three Senators and six Dele
gates.
The 10th district representatives
caucused Sunday night and agreed
to seek three more Delegates-one
each for Arlington, Alexandria
and Fairfax. The committee bills
would give Arlington a third, Fair
fax second and leave Alexandria
with one delegate. They would
abolish Arlington's own senatorial
district and give that county and
Alexandria a total of two from
the same district. Fairfax and
Falls Church would have one
Senator.
Delegate D. French Slaughter Of
Culpeper, one of those whose dis
trict would be destroyed, said he
would oppose the committee bills
as drawn. Mr.. Slaughte'rs county
would be thrown into a new dis
trict with Delegate Norman c.
Railev of ORANGE