Evening star., 1952-11-26
Z Senate Seats
Suggested for
Nearby Virginia
Legislative Session
Moy Take 10 Days
For Redistricting
BY Alex K. Preston
Sfor Stoff Correspondent

~--@~S
from one week to 10 days to re-
apportion the districts of its men,
bers were made today as a new
proposal was offered to give Ar
lington and Alexandria two State
Senators-at-large.
Chairman Robert c. Vaden of
the Senate Privileges and Elec-
tions Committee was the one who
estimated that a Today session
is needed to settle the knotty
issue which may see some men,
bers' districts voted out of
existence.
Meanwhile, Senator Robert o.
Norris of Lively, disclosed that
his plan dealing with reshuffling
of senatorial districts had been
amended to provide the two AL
exandria- Arlington senators.
At present, Arlington has a SEN
ator and Alexandria is included
with Falls Church, Fairfax and
Prince William Counties for a
second one.
A redistricting commission has
suggested cutting Prince William
out so that Fairfax and Falls
Church would have q senator,
Alexandria would have one and
Arlington would retain its SEN
ator.
Difference Explained.
Senator Norris proposal, which
has been altered by the Vaden
committee, differs from the COM
mission plan only in that Alex
andria and Arlington would elect
the same two senators instead of
each naming its own.
This would give Arlington, with
135,449 population. control over
the proposed district, because
Alexandria, with recently annexed
territory, now has only an esti-
mated $4,000.
The House and Senate commit
tees were to meet separately today
and to tackle redistricting prob
lens relating only to the body it
represents. Members were trying
to agree on bills which will be
submitted when the session opens
next week.
The committees met Jointly yes
terday for day-long hearings, in
which Northern Virginians pre-
sented pleas for more equitable
representation to keep up with
census figure changes between
1910 and 1850.
Nevertheless, there were many
assemblymen from the more rural
areas with proportionately too
large representation, who re-
peated this theme:
Just leave my district as it is. ."
ReapportiOnment Asked.
But Mrs. Herschel L. Burrough,
president of the Virginia League
of Women Voters, said, 1--WE are
At per cent urban and we ask
that the reapportionment be made
substantially in this proportion
Our General Assembly at present
is heavily weighted in favor of
the rural areas. To permit such
a situation is to disregard the
spirit, if not the letter, of the
Virginia Constitution"
Delegate Charles H. Unruh,
Q who represents a district of 26,-
800-or $500 less than what the
average should be-rebelled at a
redistricting commission plans
to divide his area among two other
districts so as to bring them more
nearly in line.
"I do not feel I would be true
to the people of my district" Mr.
Unruh said, unless I voiced op-
position to the plan proposed.
feel that the government of Vir-
ginia owes a lot to the conserva-
tive representation in the House
and Senate from the rural areas
Mr.. Unruh represents the
sparsely-settled counties of King
George, Northumberland and
Westmoreland.
Delegate Edwin Lynch of Fair
fax and Falls Church, whose dis
trict of 100000 contrasts with an
other of only 14,800, led a delega-
ton appealing for more represen-
tation. He asked for a senator fol
the area covered now by his House
district and for a second member
of the House.
Fairfax Request Backed.
State Senator Charles r. Fen
wick of Arlington supported this
request for Fairfax and also asked
that Arlington's present House
delegation of two be increased
to four. He did not make an out
right demand for second Sem
ator for Arlington.
Mrs. Beulah Goss presented a
resolution from the Arlington
Democratic Executive Committee
asking that in addition to popu-
lation the factors of votes cast
and tax revenue be considered ir
allotting representation. She Of
fered another measure along 9
similar vein from the Women's
Democratic Club Of Arlington.
Mr.. Lynch introduced Stuart
Debell and Mrs. Anne Wilkins OF
the Fairfax Board of Supervisors
Mrs. Frances Mortell, a county
civic leader; Omer Hirst of the
Fairfax Civic Federation; Victor
E. Parker, a Washington business
consultant, and Harris T. Rich.
ards, chairman of the Fairfax Re.
publican Committee, to support
his arguments.
Alexandria City Manager Ira
Willard and City Attorney Floyc
Williams presented a statement
by Mayor Marshall j. Beverley
asserting that Northern Virginis
is the most under-representeC
area in the State.
Delegate Norman c. Bailey o.