Evening star., 1952-12-06
Assembly Action
On Redistrictino
Expected Today
Senate Bill Changed
To Make Alexandria
A Separate Unit
py MEX n. FTGSrON
Ster Staff Correspondent

to wind up its business OF rediS.
tricting its membership today
after having approved an amend
ment placing Arlington and Alex.
andria in separate senatorial dis.
trictS.
Yesterdays session was high.
lighted by a walkout by Delegate
Edwin Lynch of Fairfax, who saic
he was not coming back and would
never again seek election to public
Office. Mr.. Lynch charged that
special interests" control the
State government. He also &C
cused Gov. Battle of submitting a
bill local to Fairfax County with
out first consulting him.
The House of Delegates and
State Senate each passed bills re-
shuf1ing the districts of their own
members and sent them to the
opposite body for approval. The
SenateS vote was "a to 6 and that
in the House was 80 to 3.
Only One Change.
State Senator Charles R. Fen
wick of Arlington was successful
in amending the Senate bill to
separate his county from Alex
andria in the senatorial reappor-
tionment plan. All other amend
ments were defeated.
The bill, as reported from COM
mittee. would have placed Arling-
ton and Alexandria within the
same district with two senators at
large. Senator FenWick argued
that his county, with $4,000 in
habitants. already has more than
the $4,000 which an average sena-
torial district should have.
Adding Alexandria. with $4,000
he argued, would make it doubly
difficult to represent the area. It
would mean that both Senators
would have to campaign before
about 100000 persons when Ar
lington already has an excess
population, he said.
Alexandria can justify a sepa-
rate Senator, the Arlington legis-
lator declared, because the House
redistricting bill does not give the
city second delegate, to which
its population entities it.
Due to Adjourn Today.
Prospects of adjournment today
were frightened by the fact that
there is a "gentlemen's agree
ment" in both branches of the
legislature that each body will
solve the problem of reapportion-
ing its own membership and that
the two bills would pass through
the opposite branch untouched.
The legislation would give Ar
llngton a third delegate, Fairfax
and Falls Church two delegates
and keep Alexandria's House rep
resen:ation at one
Aside from giving Alexandria a
Senator of its own, the legislation
would give Fairfax and Falls
Church one and retain Arlington's
senatorial strength at one.
Senator John A. K. Donovan.
who represents Alexandria. Falls
Church, Fairfax and Prince Will
liam Counties, made an unsuc-
cessful fight to place Prince
William in the district of Senator
Robert Y. Button of Culpeper.
The Senate-approved bill places
Prince William and Stafford
Counties in the district of Senator
Robert o. Norris of Lancaster
County.
MOncure Promises Fight.
Delegate Frank P. Moncure, who
represents both Stafford and
Prince William, has promised a
floor fight to take his counties
out OF Senator Norris district. He
wants Prince William placed in
Senator Buttons district and will
try to retain Stafford in the dis
trict of Senator Benjamin T. Pitts
of Fredericksburg.
This and similar efforts by dis
gruntled members could prolong
the session, which is expected to
wind up its business today. There
was a short-lived filibuster yester-
day when Senator Charles T..
Moses of Appomattox unsuccess-
fully attempted to make certain
changes.
Two Walkout Versions.
The outburst by Delegate Lynch
resulted in two different versions
OF events that preceded his walk
out. He said that Gov. Battle had
submitted a bill dealing with the
Fairfax County police retirement
without consulting him.
Gov. Battle, when questioned
about this, made this statement:
1.-The bill. involving only Fairfax
County, was sent down to the Sen
ate at the request of Senator DON
ovan of that county as is attested
by his name being signed to it."
Senator Donovan said this was
not strictly correct. Senator Don
ovan said former State Senator
Andrew w. Clarke came to Rich
mond Monday and had the police
retirement bill prepared and at the
same time got Gov. Battles ap-
proval.
I didn't know about it until
Tuesday" Senator Donovan said
"and that was when Mr.. Clarke
gave me copy of it.
Il went to the legislative draft
Ing bureau and asked John Boat
wright for an explanation He
said the people across the hall
Governors ofice) would send 1t
down. I remarked that the whole
procedure was lacking in courtesy
Went to See Governor.
Il came back to the redistrictinp
hearing when Mr.. Clarke asked me
II was going upstairs to sign
that bill for the Governor. went
to see the Governor.
Gov. Battle told me, I under
stand you made a remark to John