Evening star., 1952-11-28
Rural Virginia,
CitiesCIash on
Redpportioning
Alexandra Opposes
Arlington PIon for
Floating Senator
By Alex R. Preston

Reverberations continued to
mount today against proposals to
reapportion representation in the
Virginia General Assembly.
Two assembly committees have
drafted bills for introduction at
the special session Thursday to
give urban areas two additional
seats in the State Senate and five
more in the House of Delegates.
Urban interests. for the most
part, feel that additional strength
given them is not enough, while
rural representatives contend that
too much has been taken away
from them in the rejuggling to
comply with population shifts
since 1910.
Opposed in Alexandria.
In the nearby area, a proposal
to place Arlington and Alexandria
within the same senatorial dis
trict. was drawing the most fire.
Alexandrians, in particular, felt
that this would place them at a
disadvantage because of Arling-
tons 2-to-1 voter registration ma
jority.
I'VE would never be able to
elect a Senator" said ex-State
Senator Andrew w. Clarke, who
formerly represented Alexandria
in the upper branch.
At present Arlington has it's
own Senator and Alexandria is in
another district with Fairfax.
Prince William and Falls Church.
A bill drawn. up Wednesday
would give Arlington and Alexan-
dria two Senators, Fairfax and
Falls Church one and place Prince
William County in another sem
atorial district.
Suggested by Arlington.
Last year the Arlington legis-
lative delegation proposed that its
county retain one Senator to it
self and elect the second Senator
as a "f1oater" from Arlington and
Alexandria. This is the plan
which is disliked most by Alex
andrians.
State Senator John A. K. Dono-
van and Delegate Armistead
Boothe. both of whom now rep
resent the city, said they would
fight such a proposal to the limit.
If they cannot obtain a separate
Senator for Alexandria, they said.
they will insist that the bill, as
drafted, remain unchanged in this
particular SO that Alexandria and
Arlington would elect two Sena-
tors as single district.
Mr.. Clarke said he would 60 to
Richmond Monday to talk with his
former colleagues to see if he
cant improve the situation for
Alexandria. First, he said, he will
try to have the second Senator al
loted the area assigned to Alex
andria alone
May Offer Amendment.
If that fails, he said, he will
seek an amendment to the nill as
drafted to prohibit two Senators
from the Arlington-Alexandria
district from being elected from
the same county or city, thus as
|suring one from each jurisdiction.
Senator Charles r. Fenwick of
Arlington, commenting on this
proposal, said: "You might Just
as well give Alexandria it's own
Senator and let Arlington keep its
own"
Senator Fenwick commented on
the plan to include Arlington and
Alexandria in one senatorial dis
trict and to give Arlington third
member of the House. He said:
"The plan does nothing more
than give us another Delegate
when our population entities us
to two more and takes away our
own Senator for the right to elect
two with Alexandria.
Senator Fenwick, who has been
away since the proposal was made.
returned today and said he needed
more time to study the proposals.