Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-22

VI ub4At4AA8 eCaoOAl I'll o4oAA ACAo
In the mountain areas. Ger
tainly 1t Is abvious that local
bills for Northern Virginia face
the stiffest kind Of opposition
in this General Assembly ses-
sion.
Will Be Tougher
Some Of the northern Vir-
gina candidates for the Gen.
eral Assembly charged in last
years campaign that Arling-
ton and Fairfax have had in
effective represen tation in
Richmond. At the time, it was
pointed out in this space that
much special legislation had
been enacted-partcularly for
Arlington - which gave that
county most Of thes powers
that only cities enjoy in Viz
ginia. yet retaining the finan-
cial advantages that counties
hold.
1t was answered that this
did not take special skin, that
such legislation was easy TO
get through the Assembly be-
cause it was local in nature.
]. Maynard Magruder, who
voluntarily retired from the
House Of Delegates pinpointed
tho situation when he deliv-
cred what he called his swan
song" to the Legislature at its
special session last month.
Mr.. Magruder thanked his
colleagues for the many spe-
cial bills they had passed for
Arlington over the years. For
instance. Arlington is the only
county in Virginia to have an
elected school board. Mr..
Magruder expressed his ap-
probation for the fact that
lawmakers from the rural and
mountain counties had-to Q
large degree-recognized the
growing pains and peculiar
problems to the fast-growing
Metropolitan Area Of WASH
ington.
It was q warm speech,
4 warmly received. s
What happened?
Recognizing opposition to
the Gray Commission pro-
posal for q constitutional con-
vention. State Senator Gar
land Gray, and others, made
their final appeal for support
over q Washington television
station directed to the Viz
GINA suburbs.
Appeal by Groy
This is what Senator Gray
said:
Il would appreciate the
opportunity to say a personal
word to our citizens Of North
ern Virginia. Year after year
your able Representatives to
the Legislature come down to
Richmond bringing with them
the many special problems Of
Northern Virginia.
They ask. for help from the
rest Of us in the State to meet
these problems-prohlems Gre
ated by your phenomenal
growth. More special legisla-
ton is asked for by this sec
ton Of the State than all other
sections Of the State COM
bined.
I'VE have sympathized with
your problems and given your
people all the help we possibly
could. On many occasions all
OF US have stretched a point
OF doubt to assist you.
Tonight I appeal to you
on behalf Of Central, Southside
and Eastern Virginia We
have a problem-a terrible
problem-a problem of finding
a method of keeping our pub
lie schools open and giving our
people an education.
Il do not ask sympathy. I
do ask your sympathetic un-
Outstanding. -"
The total vote in the 10th
District was 20.525 for and &C.
5SS against the Gray plan.
Insult to Inj1y'
The vote in the State as a
whole was 304.l54 for and
l46,l64 against.
Whether they are right or
whether they are wrong is be-
side the point. but many law
makers took the action of the
Arlington School Board on
January II as adding insult
to injury" That was when the
board adopted a policy that
would allow intregation next
fall.
The fact that the Arlington
School Board made it clear
that it would comply with
State law. would follow the
policy of, the State Board of
Education and that its policy
was conditioned on enactment
Of the Gray program, did not
AS could be expected-re-
ceiye the attention that was :
given to the announcement Of
a move toward indignation.
Too few. perhaps. were the
voices of one House member
who commented: Why man,
that's what we're depending on
to make the Gray plan hold
up in court"
His point was that if School
Boards move toward integra-
ton, Federal courts are likely
to recognize this factor when
called on to pass on the valid !.
ity Of the Gray program.
In time. the feeling against