Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-14
Law Control
Water Firms in
Virginia Asked
Delegates Consider
Other Measures in
Saturday Session
By Alex R. Preston
BY q stoff Correspondent Of The ssur

House of Delegates, holding its
first Saturday session to break a
log jam of bills, today received
new legislation designed to reg
ulate privately owned water
companies and also to establish
a State policy on water as nat
-ural resource. i,
&. Delegate J. Maynard Magruder
of Arlington, helped co-Sponsor
the legislation which may lead
to a long-range policy to gov
ern the conservation and proper
use of the States water re-
sources.
DeJarRette Bill.
The regulation Of private wa
ter companies, a source of fire.
quent complaints in Fairfax
County. was proposed in legis-
lation bearing the name of House
Floor Leader Edmund T. DeJar-
nette. who is a member of the
Virginia Advisory Legislative
Council which studied the prob
lem.
Chief complaint involving the
water companies stems from the
fact that more than 100 are not
subjected to regulation of rates
and service performed by the
State Corporation Commission.
:. Subscribers of private utilities
would be allowed to petition the
sec if they feel service is made
Quate. under the new legislation.
: Among companies specifically
listed by the sec as being af-
fected by today's legislation are
the Fenwick Park Water Corp,
serving Fenwick Park in Fairfax
County. Also affected would be
the Sydnor Pump & Well Co..
of Richmond, which operates
more than 80 companies in sew
Seral counties. including Fairfax.
At present. the State Board Of
Health is the only State agency
concerned with companies serv-
ing more than IS persons-and /
that boards primary concern is |
the purity of the water.
Facilities for Subdivisions.
Under legislation Incorporated |
In six bills introduced today !
counties would be authorized to |
specify by regulation or ordi-
nance water and sewage facilities |
which should be permitted in |
new subdivisions.
The legislation proposes to
give the county governing bodies J
more control, rather than the
sec, because of the additional |
expense and personnel that
would be involved on a State |
level.
r The matter of determining the
States future policy on water |
as a natural resource is. |
the various streams. rivers and !
bays-wouid be left to the VALC |
for further study and report to |
the 1856 General Assembly.
Investigation was instituted by |
former Gov. Battle.
The investigation included Spe- /
cif1c cases involving the con- |
struction of a dam across the /,
Rapidan River by the town of |
Orange and the effect that had |
on certain riparian landowners
downstream. In another case.
the problems involved using
water for irrigation from the
Thornton River in Rappahan-
mock County. were analysed. 1r-
rigauon also created problems in
Culpeper County when a farmer
at Brandy pumped water from
Jonah's Run.
New Water Code.
The VALC recommended that
It be authorized to continue its
study of water resources "for
establishment in due course of
q comprehensive water code. for
the State. designed to facilitate
present and future economic !
development.
In another development, Dele
gate Robert Whitehead, the
anti organization Democratic
leader from Nelson County, Of
fered resolution to require the
States most powerful political
group-the State Compensation
Board-to file a detailed report
on salaries and expense allow
ances for all officers. such as
sheriffs, commemorative attor-
neys, court clerks, etc. at the
courthouse level in the SO coun-
ties and various cities.
Mr.. Whitehead's resolution
would require the board to re-
port on the salaries and ex-
penses of all the officials under
its Jurisdiction, the dates on
which the amounts were deter
mined. and to furnish this addi-
tional information:
THE policies and methods
adopted and followed by said
board in determining whether
changes in such salaries and ex-
penSe allowances shall be made"
Gasoline Tax Boost.
Meanwhile. Gov. Stanley sent
down printed information at
tempting to show how much
each locality would gain for its
secondary road fund, under the
proposed 1-cent-per-gallon gaso-
line tax increase which he rec
commended in his inaugural adj
dress.
:. Considerable resistance to the
idea has developed in the Cen
eral Assembly. The information
sent to members of the House of
Delegates today showed how
much would be gained by each
locality represented by the dele
gate.
Arlington and Henrico Coun-
ties were not included in the
table because they receive high
way funds under a special for
mula which is not involved in
the Governors table.