Evening star., 1952-11-30
Assembly Fight
On Redistrictinq
Seen in Virginia
Lawmakers to Work
On Issue Tuesday
In SpecuI Session
By Alex R. Preston

IN oPeCoI SeSSl0n
By Alex R. Preston
Virginia lawmakers will return
to Richmond Tuesday for the sec
ond time this year to toss around
the political hot potato of redis-
tricting the General Assembly.
The extra session of the Legis-
lature called by Gov. Battle to
redistrict the 40 Senate and 100
House seats finds the Democrats
in a serious intra-party fight.
Battle lines on this issue, which
the Assemblymen refused to face
at their regular session earlier
this year, find those from the
rural areas fighting to keep the
"city boys" from gaining control
of the Legislature.
The session is expected to run
for 10 days to two weeks.
Reaction to Bills.
A foretaste of the fireworks has
been indicated by reaction to two
bills which House and Senate
committees agreed last week to
sponsor at the special session.
The committees would abolish two
Senatorial districts and five House
districts in rural areas to give
more representation to the popu-
lous Arlington Fairfax-A
and the Hampton Roads areas.
To do this. the districts of such
members as Delegates D. French
Slaughter of Culpeper, Charles N.
Loving of Bath, and Charles H.
Unruh of Westmoreland, were split
up so that they would find them
selves required to run against
strongly-entrenched incumbents II
they sought to return. This situa-
ton. multiplied several times,
makes the issue ticklish.
Alexandria, one of the most
under represented area-based on
its relative population-would con-
tinue in that status If the House
and Senate committee bills now
being prepared are enacted.
The city is credited with 61,787
population by the 1850 census.
Since then 1t raised the total to
72,787 by annexing additional ter
ritory, not counting population
gains in the last two years.
Alexandria to Fight.
Alexandria's representatives will
go to Richmond to fight because
their city would not be allowed
a second Delegate under the bill.
The city of Hampton. for instance.
has population of only 5.966, but
the proposed legislation assigns
that area a Delegate of its own
plus a "floater" Delegate elected
with Newport News and Warwick.
At present Alexandria is in the
Senatorial district which embraces
Fairfax. Falls Church and Prince
William County. with a total Of
1893 ,956 inhabitantS-the largest in
the State.
The bill would cut Alexandria
out of that senatorial district and
place it in a new district with
Arlington to elect two Senators
at-large. This probably would
work to the advantage of Arling-
ton which has a population Of
135,449 and a voter registration
majority of about 2-to-l.
State Senator Charles r. Fen
wick and Delegate, j. Maynard
Magruder and George Damn Of
Arlington (who were allowed a
third delegate by the committees)
want to retain their own sena-
torial district and, perhaps. elect
the second Senator at-large from
Arlington and Alexandria.
But neither Senator John A. X.
Donovan nor Delegate Armistead
Boothe, both representing Alex
andria. approve. They prefer the
two at-large senators If they can't
obtain senator Of their own.
They also want a second delegate
for Alexandria.
Lynch Wants 3 Delegates.
Meanwhile, Delegate Edwin w.
Lynch. who represents a popula-
ton of more than 106,00 in Fair
fax and Falls Church, plans to get
more than the second House mem
ber which one Of the bills would
give his area. The population
figures justify three. he believes.
Zach delegate. according to total
population figures. should have 49,
600 constituents and each Sem
ator $4,000. Mr.. Lynch asked for
two additional delegates at COM
mittee hearings last week.
Senator Donovan, who also
represents Fairfax-Falls Church, is
backing Mr.. Lynch in this demand
and at the same time will object
to Prince William County being
placed in the district of Senator
Robert o. Norris of Lancaster.
Prince William County, a farm
ing and dairy products area. has
nothing in common with the sea-
food interests of Senator Norris
tidewater area. Senator Donovan
said. Instead. he will seek to
have Prince William attached to
the district of Senator Robert Y.
Button. who represents similar in
terests in Loudoun. Fauquier and
Culpeper counties.
Under the new bill. incidentally.
Senator Donovan's district Of
106,192 population would contrast
with Senator Buttons proposed
district Of 55.637.
Short Tuesday Session.
The first days session at noon
Tuesday is likely to be perfume
tory. New members will be seated
and then the two branches will
hold a joint session in the House
chamber to canvass the vote for
Lieut.. Gov. A. e. s. Stephens Of
Smithfield and declare him
elected. Gov. Battle is expected
Tn aSk fnr a "fair and rea soma hle0