Evening star., 1952-12-04
Special Session
Pushes Study Of
|Apportionment
Arguments Presented
For More Legislators
In Nearby Virginia
Bv Alex R Preston
By Alex R. Preston
StaH Staff corrssnendanf


Star Ssoff Correspondent
RICHMOND, Dec. 4.-Driving
hard to complete its work by Sat-
urday, a special session of the
General Assembly today weighed
arguments on how its membership
should be apportioned.
Proposals submitted so far would
give the 10th Congressional Dis
trict next to Washington addi-
tional representation in the Leg
islature.
House and Senate committees
met prior to this afternoons ses-
sion to review two bills which
would alter the districts of some
of their members.
% Bills Introduced.
The committees held hearing
all day yesterday. except for a
brief session at which % bills and
a resolution-all non-controversial
were introduced at the request
of Gov. Battle.
At the hearing. legislators from
Arlington, Alexandria. Fairfax
and Falls Church presented argu-
meEts to increase the areas rep
resentation in the General Assem-
bly,.
At present the area is repre-
sented by two State Senators and
four Delegates.
Legislation now pending would
increase the State Senators to
three and the Delegates to six.
Proposal Opposed.
A proposal that Arlington and
Alexandria be combined into one
senatorial district with two SEN
ators was opposed by representa-
tives from both areas.
Senator John A. K. Donovan
and Delegate Armistead Boothe
asked for a separate Senator for
Alexandria. Senator Charles R.
Fenwick and Delegate r. Maynard
Magruder and George Damn
joined them in this request so
that Arlington could retain its
own Senator.
The Alexandria delegation did
not press for an increase in its
representation in the House-one
Delegate-if it obtained a Senator
of its own. The Arlington dele
cation, which would be granted
third member Of the House, said
the county was entitled to d fourth
Delegate.
Delegate Edwin Lynch end
Senator Donovan. who also rep
resents Fairfax and Falls Church,
asked for three members Of the
House. Pending legislation would
give that area second Delegate.
Alexandria Group Present.
Among those who appeared in
behalf Of Alexandria position
were Frank E. Mann of the city
council: former State Senator
Andrew w. Clarke, representing
the Chamber of Commerce, and
Dan O'Flaherty of the North
Ridge Citizens Association.
Mr.. OFlaherty, commenting on
the plan to give Arlington and
Alexandria two Senators at large,
said:
1--WE do not object to that but
we would rather one of our own
own instead of having half of two
Senator's"
Mr.. Boothe said the 10th Con-
gressional District, with a popu-
lation of more than 100000, has
only four delegates compared
with 13 delegates from the 9th
district.
Electi0neering Difficult.
Earlier, representatives of rural
areas complained that their dis
tricts were so large that they
had difficulty in electioneering
throughout the areas they repre-
sent.
Senator Fenwick said Arling-
toms population of 1876, 900 justi-
f1es four House members, but
pending bill allows only three. His
county is entitled to it's own Sena-
tor, he said, and rather than
share two Senators with Alexan-
dria. Arlington would prefer to
have its own Senator and give
Alexandria the second one.