Evening star., 1953-05-25
By WiIIiom J. EIvin


Councilman to Retire.
Incumbent Councilman James
E. Durant, who has served longer
than any other present member,
has announced he will retire at
the end of his current term.
Mayor Charles E. Kellogg is in
the race. Under a new charter,
seven councilmen are elected and
they choose the Mayor from
their membership.
Mayor Kellogg lives at 322
East Broad street and is in
charge of fur farming investi-
cations for the Bureau of Animal
Husbandry, Department of Agri-
culture.
The Mayor has crossed swords
with Councilman Samuel E.
McCrary and other councilmen
on the issue of multiple housing
and other matters. Mr.. Kellogg
believes a number of city i'm
provementS are needed but he
contends the best policy is to
move cautiously and avoid
drastic or costly changes.
Slate Formed.
Mr.. McCrary has formed a
slate with two other incumbents,
Mrs. Margaret King and Francis
A. Wagner, and another candi-
date, Mark S. Jones, of 208
Grove avenue, a former military
governor in the Philippines and
now an electronics engineer.
Mr.. McCrary says neither
single family dwellings nor
apartment houses pay enough
taxes to support the services
they demand. Revenue from
business must be increased, he
says. by bringing new stores and
industry to Falls Church. A
greater concentration of custom
ers-as in apartment projects
is necessary to bring more
business to the city, Mr.. McCrary
says.
He has accused Mayor Kellogg
of being unable to make up his
mind and calls him an "addle-
Straddler."
Also in this category, Mr.. Nc
Crary says, are Councilman Alvin
Tasker and Raymond Taylor.
Opposed RezOning.
Mayor Kellogg, Mr.. Tasker
and Mr.. Taylor have opposed a
number of apartment rezoningS
on the grounds that the charac-
ter of Falls Church would be de-
Stroyed. They say the new resi-
dents would bring added city
school problems.
Opposition to the present coun-
Gil in the June election was
promised nearly two years ago.
At the beginning of the councils
two-year term, a series of spec
tacular incidents, including pub
lie questioning of the School
Board by the city attorney, re-
suited in resignation of six board
members. They were replaced
by new council appointees.
At that time, some citizens
promised they would campaign
to replace the council in the
1858 elections.
The f1ve-man independent
slate charges that after appoint
ing six new School Board men,
bers, the council still treats the
board like a step child.
In an announcement today,
the Independent slate charged
that the council has clearly
demonstrated it does not want
f1rSt-rate schools in Falls
Church" The Independents said
that, if elected, they would CO.
operate closely with the School
Board.
The group also says the coun-
Gil has hindered the city man
ager in the performance of his
duties and has by-passed the
City Planning Commission con-
tinuouSly.
Independent Slate.
Forming this independent slate
are Herman L. Fink, vice presi-
dent of a manufacturing firm
and vice chairman of the City
Planning Commission; S. E. Kite,
real estate man, formerly adver-
tiSing salesman in Washington
and Falls Church; Charles c.
Seymour. drugstore manager and
a Virginia resident for the past
Is years.
The other two are Grant G.
Hilliker. State Department Of
fetal and foreign affairs student
at George Washington Univer-
Sity; and M. Eldon Colby, chief
underwater for the Federal Crop
Insurance Corp. and former
teacher and athletic coach.
Unafhliated candidates are
Donald G. Benn. of GOT Poplar
drive, q trial attorney for the
Veterans Administration and
formerly dean of men at st.
Petersburg Junior College in
Florida; Elmer L. Blekfeld, of
103 West WeStmoreland road,
Navy Department employe, an
assistant scoutmaster and men,
ber of the executive committee of
the North Greenway Downs Citi-
zens Association, and Thomas
O'Halloran, of 223 Little Falls
street, telephone company en-
gineer, formerly teacher in elec-
trical engineering at George
Washington University and q
Virginia resident for 40 years.