Evening star., 1924-02-09
DRASTIC DRY LAWS
ASKED FOR VIRGINIA
Proposed Amendments to Present
Act Would Impose Heavy
Penalties.
LAY INSPECT GASOLINE
Favor Bill at Richmond Aimed at
Inferior Product.
Special Dispatch to The Star

Va, .
Amendments proposed to the prohibition
laws of the state have appeared in the
senate, sponsored by three members
of that body. headed by Senator Lay
man of Allegheny. The amendments
iare many and they are far-reaching.
The entire bill is incorporated into
the act and hereafter all persons who
are not only to pay heavier fines
than in the past, ranging from 5000
to $4,000, but in every case they are
to go to prison for six months to two
lyears, and the prison term in the bill
is defined as meaning that such pro-
lposed term must be passed. in hard
work on the public roads of the COM
monwealth
Senator Eayman says he is seek e
to make the Virginia law conform to
the Volstead law. The committee will
meet next Monday.
Provision for State Purchases.
Hereafter all purchases made for
the state departments will be made
by the purchasing agency established
by the state some two years ago, and
which has been demonstrated as being
one of the most economic moves for
years. The law has passed both
branches of the legislature and will
be approved by the governor. Under
the provisions of the bill the state
will purchase all the coal used in the
various state institutions, all the
food and clothing, all medicines. and,
in short. will purchase in such guam
titles and pay cash that 1t Will be 70
the advantage of the sellers to make
n no
at one time.
The bill affecting fairs in the state
and the operation of games of chance
wheels of fortune and the like-has
been amended and gone to the house
from the senate. The amendment SIM
ply provides that when such wheels
and devices and games of chance are
operated at any fair in the state, or
at any benevolent bazaar, park or
amusement, that the operators shall
give to each person participating
something of intrinsic value, that to
be in addition to the prize that is be-
ing offered to the participants. The
bill passed the senate by unanimous
vote after the above amendment had
been added on motion of Senator
Gum.
For Gasoline Inspection.
Gasoline will no longer be allowed
to be dumped into this state without
being inspected. For long time the
quality sold here has been the SUBJ
ject of complaint, and efforts to enact
bill providing for inspection, the
tax to be levied on the companies SELL
ing the stuff, have been defeated by
the companies. One of the large COM
panies appeared in support of the
measure, saying they made just one
grade, that it was sold to the federal
government for all purposes and that
all was asked was that the federal
standard shall apply. The company
did not object to the payment of the
inspection charges.
The bill was THAI of which Senators
Garrett and Byrd were the patrons,
and it appeared from the committee
with unanimous vote and with a
clause that the law shall be effective
from and after it's passage, which will
be done next week.
The bill allowing the counties of
the state to receive and disburse the
fund from the gasoline tax as may
suit the supervisors of the counties
has passed the senate. The bill was
so amended as to meet the objections
counties will have the right to say
at what points the roads to be built
from that fund shall commence. The
senate also agreed to the bill which
allows the use of the unexpended bal
ance from the maintenance fund to
be used in construction of new roads.
Bill on School Books.
That the school books of the state
are being changed too frequently,
that the patrons are being compelled
to expend huge sums every year for
books when the same is not necessary
and that change once in ten years
is all that is necessary are the claims
made in a bill which is before one of
the house committees for adoption
The bill would empower the legis-
latures'to make reasonable changes
once in two years, but the general
change is limited to once in ten
years. The matter is one that has been
for many years, the members oppos-
ing the changes at so frequent in
tervals refusing to be downed or to
keep quiet, and about every time ii
breaks out it appears to gather more
strength or to hold it's own.