The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-21
|ONE SECTION MAY NOT BE TAXED
FOR BENEFIT OF ANOTHER, SAYS
HANK, IN REVIEWING ROAD BILL
SENATE

Tne morning was quite the 0'iS1'
OF the special session and the senate
nerves" when Senator Keith created
a most welcome diversion. Senator
Andrews was enlarging on the imme-
date and urgent need of school legls-
lation and Senator Keith begged to
differ on a few particulars. Senator
Andrews asked permission to ply
personal question and upon being told
to proceed asked the senator from
Fauquier how many children he mad
Senator Keith hesitated only mo-
ment before replying fervently: None
personally, / thank Cod" After the
senate had ceased to rock with laugh
ter. Senator Andrews explained ms
keen interest in the public schools oy
admitting the possession OF eight
personal children"
If the amendment is adopted by the
house tomorrow, the senate VIII ne
frse to take up and dispose of the
many matters now pending, including
the roads bill re-enacting the state
highway act which was reported by
the committee on roads and Internal
navigation this morning, Other bills
reported were Senator Maps bill de-
fiiAng the words Cape May" as used
in the act to mean the cape of that
name and not the town: bill au-
thorizing the sale of certain toll
houses in the Valley of Virginia, and
bill patroned by Senator Keith provid-
ing for the issuance of local bonds,
The report requested from the su-
perintendenf of public instructions
was received and read. Senator Strobe
engag ed in a rehearsal of previous
statements made by various senators
in exposing the conditions of the
school system, wandering from his
subject to depiore the consistent me-
diocrity Of virginia's modern govern
nora The Amherst senator declared
that ne had frequently wondered how
tbs goyernorship should apparently
prove to be a kind OF creeping para
iysis'' to those elected to the office.
Time after time he said. II have
hoped that we would some day have
governor who would realiz. what a
failow feld lies here in Virginia for
fearless, vigorous initiative"
NARROW VIEWPOINT.
In a general analysis OF the state
vida attitude toward education, Sena-
tor strobe called attention to the ten
dency OF some senators to regard this
and similar problems from q narrow.
uectionaI viewpoint. instead Of con-
sanity vfsulixing the state ~ 81, un-
dtSided Unit Senator Grayatt, who
|pppHg9t MIN on TIE xr4soca Issue, rose
TO voice his complete sympathy with
this sentiment.
Clothing the same thought in most
graceful language. the senator from
Caroline said: When the sun rises
on Accomac. part OF our state Is still
in darkness, and when the slanfinE
rays of the western sun battle our
fountains in the last glow of day, we
in the East are in darkness. but the
sun still shines on Virginia" This
genuine bit of elquence was rewarded
with the first ripple Of applause to
stir the senate in the present session.
Senators Strobe, Leedy. Conrad.
Andrews, Rison and Royal spoke in
favor of~the school amendment and
Senators West Keith and Gravatt
against it. Senator Gravatt confined his
brief remarks almost entirels To per-
tineul Qestions on the sheet. He
ASKED. Senator STROBE would the in
crease in tecahers' salaries make more
children come to school, pointing out
that the records now show an attend
ance Of from fifty to sixty-four per
cent. He was again constrained to
interrogate Senator I.eedy on the
same simple subject Can YOU he
asked, educate your children unless
they 60 to SCHOOL," Senator Leedy
was forced to admit that he could not
Senator Goodrich asked Senator
Strobe Ii he could rightly refer to
the estimate of Superintendent Hart
placing expenses Of the present term
81 200, 900 in excess OF the resources
IA d "defcit'' Senator Strobe in
formed him that he had not men
toned any deficit. the statement be-
ing attributed to Senator Addison.
Senator STROBE was moved several
times during his speech to remark on
the frequently recurring absences OF
several senators. This tendency to
stroll about and listen from the re-
cesseS OF the cloak room increased
until, after two more senators had
held forth on the now threadbare sub
Jet, Senator West found himself ad-
dressing exactly seven senator's.
Senator Royal stated that the situa-
tion In his three counties was acute;
that unless something was done the
teachers could not be retained. Sem
ator Andrews blamed low salaries in
the rural districts to low assessment
o. properly. saying that this should
be corrected as soon as possible but
calling on the senate to meet the
emergency existing IN the only pos
sible way. as assessments could not
be changed at this time.
The senate Adjourned until noon to-