Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-13

letters are subject to conden-
Sdtion.
jected last week by a majority
of the Fairfax Board of County
Supervisors somehow would
have solved all the county'S
financing problems and that
the board did not give due
consideration to this possibility
in its deliberations. There is
considerable doubt that any,
thing can be done by the
county itself to improve its
bond situation at this time.
If anything can be done. how
ever, there is substantial
evidence to the effect that a
real property reassessment,
and an increase in the assess
ment ratio from its present 40
per cent of 1850 values, is more
likely to do this than is the
addition of small amounts Of
revenue from the miscellaneous
sources available to counties
under State law. 1t is granted
that these additional revenues
may be needed to finance cur
rent operations Of county gov
eminent but 1t is doubtful if
they would have any effect on
the county's credit or its bond
sales.
You reach the mistaken con-
clusion that because the rela-
lively stable communities of
Arlington, Alexandria and Falls
Church have a business license
tax. 1t must be good for Fair
fax. Fairfax is new as an
urban community and needs
new business and industry to
broaden its tax base and make
it a well-rounded community.
A tax such as the one proposed
would have put an inSurmount-
able burden on the very "fledg-
ling" businesses we seek to en-
courage. The tax was. there
fore, considered unwise for
Fairfax County at this time.
l would like, at another time.
to discuss why jet airport at
Burke still is not attractive
to Fairfax County's governing
body and, indeed, to few who
do not live as close to National
as to Burke. l will point out
now only that what Fairfax
County needs is taxpaying
industry rather than the
Chamber of Commences ia
vorite payroll" industry which
you apparently have accepted
as the "be all and end all" I
also suggest that to justify
Burke, you should seek more
valid reasons than those based
upon absurd comparisons be-
tween the proposed jet airport
and the airports at Richmond
and Roanoke which accom-
modate, perhaps, a dozen COM
mercial transports a day.
Anne wilkins,
Member, Fairfax Board of
County Supervisors.
Editors Note: The Star
erred in its figures on the Fair
fax school population. 1t
should be noted. however. that
the correct figures. as given by
Mrs. wilkins. show that the
actual increase by 1860 will
be much greater. both in
numbers and percentagewise.
than the erroneous figures used
by The Star. This foreshadows
an even more serious revenue
problem for the county. It
is also worth noting that
Richmond, which has a triple
A" credit rating, sold a general
bond issue in December, includ-
ing $3.50, 900 for schools,
at 2.68 per cent. Fairfax with
its BAA rating, had to pay Ala
per cent to sell an all-school
issue. The anti-integration
legislation applies equally in
Fairfax and Richmond.)
Birth in Spring
The tree beside my ,0indoW
Is chill, drips rain from every
Dough.
But soon each branch, caught
up In spring
Win sing NTH life and
blOSSomino.
Magnolia ledueS that cldtter,
lUheese,
Win iohiSper. laugh in tickling
breeze.
Long strands OF moss a robin
brin0S
To thread her nest. This gray
Ueil SiDinqS
NoW back. then forth. ard
back again,
IN timing like The pulSinp
pair
OF bRth. T'hC robin feels the
thrill
And brings forth life. The Deii