Evening star., 1960-01-17


mine if county residents wan
a local ordinance strengthen
ing and clarifying the Stat,
law prohibiting nonessentia
business on Sunday.
The board also directed tn,
county manager to accelerat
enforcement of the existing
Sunday closing law by collect
ing evidence against fiagran
offenders.
County Manager A. T. Lund
berg said the order would no
result in wholesale closings
but rather "a whiting ava,
at" the 230 business establish
lments which open on Sunday
Board Member Lucas Blevins
who proposed the referendum
said he hopes it can be con
Quoted this spring.
| According to his resolution
passed by a 80 vote. Arlington
delegation to the General AS
sembly will be asked to seel
permission from the legislatur
for the county to hold tn
referendum.
Board m m bers Herber
Brown, David Krupsaw and lie,
UrbanSke voted against passag
Of any local ordinance. Ralpl
Kaul and Mr.. Blevins urget
enactment of one.
Mr.. Brown said:
1T is my deep conviction tina
no government should try II
legislate in the sensitive realm
Of piety. custom and reasonabl,
personal privilege"
Mr.. Krupsaw said:
Despite the fact that ! de-
plore the commercialization O
Sunday. I am unwilling to stip'
ulate that Sunday shall be th'
only day in seven earmarkeC
for closing of certain bust
nesses If the gentlemen o.
the pulpit are unable to per
suade their parishioners not t,
patronize businesses, then
think the failure is theirs. anc
they should not look to legis.
lation for the answer"
\ Mr.. Urbanske said:
when we talk about defin,
ing necessity, we are playing
games with ourselves. Necessit!
means different things to diff.
ferent people. and 1t constantly
changes"
Follows Majority
Mr.. Kaul advocated regula.
ton Of Sunday business "fol
humanitarian. rather than re-
ligious reasons"
In refusing to pass a county
ordinance, the board followed
the majority recommendation
Of a citizens committee ap.
pointed to study the contro'
versial issue.
A minority report submittet
by II committee member
urged enactment Of a local Law
banning unnecessary Sunda,
business.
Mr.. Kaul and Mr.. Blevin
advocated adoption Of the mi
nority report, as did numerou
speakers appearing at the hear
ing attended by more than 20I
people.
Mr.. Urbanske Joined both il
supporting the referendum re
quest. Opposing the referen
dunn. Mr.. Brown said. II hav,
the uncomfortable feeling tina
this is a buck-passing move t,
get us of the hook"
Called Futile
Mr.. Krupsaw called the pro
Iposed referendum "a futil,
gesture"
Before the board acted, tn,
Rev. George E. Schnabel, pres
ident Of the Arlington Com
mittee Of Churches for Com
munity Welfare. argued tina
the Sunday closing law "i
enforceable in a very reason
able way"
Stephen Schlossberg, repre-
senting the Retail Store EN-
ployes Union and the Amalga
mated Meatcutters and Butche,
Workmen's Union. demanded
/. vigorous enforcement of tn,
Sunday closing law solely OF
humanitarian grounds"
The Rev. James Roy Smith
representing the Arlington
Ministers Association. warned
Failure to strengthen tn,
law at this time will open VI
the whole community TO a full
Sunday shopping day."
Earl Kirby, president Of tn
Northern Virginia AUTOMOBILE
Dealers Association, also callet
for energetic enforcement o
the Sunday closing law.
Religionists Differ
Bernard ]. INNING, repre-
senting Arlington Catholic
Churches, declared: I'VE know
what was right in 1779 is essen,
TALLY right today"
The Arlington Chamber o.
Commerce also reported that {
majority Of its members favor'
shutting non-essential business
on Sunday.
However, two Seventh Da!
Adventist ministers, Elder
Donald F.. HAYNES and w
Travis Smith, vehemently op'
posed the blue law"
Florenz Hinze, appearing a.
an individual, declared:
Il strenuously object to an!
attempts by any group to die
tate what I may do on Sunda,
or any other day"