Evening star., 1952-11-23
Virginia 10 Try
Reshuff|ing Of
Districts Again
TickIish Problem
To Be Tackled at
Hearings Tuesday
By Alex R. Preston

4liO VA Slilld SHCIlCi al f1SSClIlUlN
is about to tackle again the
thorny problem of re-appointing
the States legislative Districts
for the House of Delegates and
State Senate.
This is an issue which. pits
friend against friend, If a per-
fectly fair re-appointment were
made to conform to population
shifts during the last 10 years,
a number of ranking assembly,
men would find themselves legis-
lated out of Office.
A preliminary to this politically
ticklish problem will begin at
10 am. Tuesday. The House and
Senate Privileges and Elections
Committee will open public hear
ings in the State Capitol at Rich
mond. The hearings may end by
Thanksgiving or they may con-
tinue until the special session
of the General Assembly convenes
December 2.
So troublesome is the subject
that the lawmakers failed to
agree on plan at their January
to-March regular session. Gov.
Battle called them back to do
the job that the State Constitu-
ton says must be done every 10
years.
AS far as they got earlier was
to re-apportion the congressional
districts to add the new 10th in
the suburban Washington area.
Citizens Fare Poorly.
But citizens Of this same area
fare poorest of all when it comes
to representation in the State
Legislature. For instance:
Delegate Edwin w. Lynch of
Fairfax County and Falls Church
represents 106.092 citizens, &C
cording to the 1850 census. But
Delegate w Tayloe Murphy of
Richmond and Lancaster Coun-
ties, powerful legislative leader
for the controlling Democratic
faction, represents only l4,829.
State Senator John A. K. Dono-
vans vast district embraces all
of Mr.. Lynchs territory plus Alex
andria and Prince William County.
There are 1886 inhabitants
there. Yet. DR.. J. D. Hagood rep
reSents Halifax County alone
which constitutes one senatorial
district-with only 41,442 inhabi-
tantS.
Halifax County happens to be
the home of Roy B. Davis, chair
man of the House Privileges and
Elections Committee which must
pass on any redistricting bill be-
fore it gets to the floor.
County Over-represented.
The position of Delegate Tom
Frost of Warrenton is typical. Mr..
Frost represents Fauquier County
with a population of 21,238. Out
of the 100 members of the House,
his is the 11th county in the list
of those that are most "over-
The ideal for each
delegate is $4,000 constituents.
A commission has recommended
combining Fauquier with Culpeper
County, already represented by a
veteran legislator. Delegate D.
Slaughter. The new dis
trict then would have 34,490 in
habitants.
If that happens" Mr.. Frost
said. lit means that either French
or myself will have to get out.
He's good friend of mine and I
don't want to get out.
After all. I'm sent to Rich
mond to represent the people of
Fauquier County and I'm going
to fight for as much representa-
tion for them as I can get"
Situation as il Is Now,
The suburban areas are likely
to get more representation in the
General Assembly as result Of
the special session but it is un-
likely that they will get all to
which their population entities
them. This is the picture at pres
ent:
Arlington has one Senator and
another Senator represents Alex
Falls Church. Fairfax and
Prince William Counties combined.
Arlington now has two Dele
gates; alexandria has one and
Falls Church and Fairfax COM
bined have one.
Without counting Prince Will
liam County, which probably will
be detached from the senatorial
district and included in one of
more rural characteristics. the
areas has a total popu-
lation of 303,328 represented by
two Senators and three Delegates.
Based on the States population
Of 3.3 million, this nearby area is
to four Senators and nine
Delegates.
A special commission on redis-
tricting. appointed in 1850. did. in
fact recommend additional repre-
sentation for the suburban area.
1t suggested that Delegates be in
creased by giving Alexandria Sec
ond one, Arlington a third one
but with Falls Church included,
and Fairfax second one for q
total of seven Delegates.
Hearings This Week.
The commission suggested in
creasing the Senators to three by
leaving Arlington with one, allow
ing one for Fairfax and Falls
Church combined and giving Alex
andria one of it's own.
This commission plan will be
the basis for the hearings which
begin this week. 1t has its obvious
For example, the
district Of Fairfax and
Falls Church with 106.092, still
would have far more than the
80 900 constituents which each