Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-03
BYRD URGES WIDE
CHANGES |NLAW
Governor Would Abolish
Many Boards and Enlarge
Executives Powers.

RICHMOND, Va, February Sine
State of Virginia is too great a bust
ness corporation to continue its
patchwork system" of government,
Gov. Harry Flood Byrd said in an adj
dress delivered before the Virginia
General Assembly here today. 1t was
his third communication to the Legis-
lature in as many days. He delivered
his inaugural address Monday, and
yesterday sent TO both houses q mes
sage dealing with taxation and the
budget. Today he addressed a joint
session, recommending a Concentra-
ton of power in the chief executive,
consolidation of State bureaus, and
popular election of only the governor,
lieutenant governor, and attorney
general. Other State officers would be
appointed.
The chief executive urged abolition
of the Dairy and Food Department,
the Live Stock Sanitary Board, the
Crop Pest Commission, the Virginia
Agricultural Experiment Board, the
Virginia Truck Experiment Sta ION
Board. the War History Commission
and the commissioner of hospitals.
The duties OF the first three depart
ments would be placed under the
Department of Agriculture under
recommendations OF GOV. Byrd, while
the laW-erforCiu4 duties of the extern
sion service at Virginia Polytechnic
Institute would be turned over TO the
Department of Agriculture, and the
educational duties of the department
would be given over to the extension
service.
Constitutional Changes.
Constitutional changes necessary
TO make the governor the real
executive head of the State We're
urged, the governor pointing out that
he did not recommend these to be-
come effective during his term of
office, but at the start of the next
administration. He urged that ref
erendum on the question be held
in 1928, a presidential year, in order
TO assure a representative vote.
when one studies our complicated
governmental machinery the wonder
is that it has worked even as well
as 1t has" Gov. Byrd declared. He
pointed out that there We're nearly
100 bureaus. boards and departments
and that the governor was permitted
to appoint only 20 of the 81 admin
istratiEe heads.
He urged that a consolidation be
effected that there may be not more
than eight departments, the heads
of these to he appointed by the
governor and responsible to him. He
called attention TO the United States
Government, the Presidents cahlnet
and the power vested in the Presl-
dent. and pointed out that safe
guard against too much executive
mower in Virginia was TO be founo
in the fact that the governor may
not serve more than a single term.
Highway Department.
The State Highway Department was
singled out by Gov. Byrd ~ an eN-
ample of the direct responsibility
which he favored. The head OF inns
department appoints his subordinateS'
who are responsible 10 nm, an" h'
Is directly responsible to the GOV.
ernor The efficiency and freedom
from nolitical influences of this de
nartnent speaks We'll fox this admin
isfratiye policy" the chief executive
While not urging abolition OF the
Motor Vehicle Department, Gov. BErd
EXPRESSED the belief that automoDlie
licenses should be issued locally ana
urged that the budget OF the depart
ment be cut
ike former Coy. /. Lee Trinkle.
Coy. Byrd would place all the
revenues of the state under the bud
get system. He recommended thaI
Segregated funds be abolished, except
the gasoline and automobile license
tax funds.
4 summary of the recommendations
follows: ~.
Holding of n referendum that Viz
ninia can adopt the short ballot and
elect by popular vote only the
governor, the lieutenant governor
and the attorney general.
APPOINTMENT OF administrative head
by the governor, who is directly re-
sponsible to the people for administra-
tive efficiency.
Grouping of Boards.
Grouping of boards. bureaus and de-
partmentS into eight or ten depart
ments. and the abolition of many de-
partmentS.
Appropriation Of $4,000 for an eff
cheney survey by an outside firm.
Election of the auditor Of public ac-
counts by the general assembly.
Recommendation that the constitu-
tional amendments necessary TO carry
out simpIification be put through in
time to enable the next governor to
have the powers suggested.
The budgeting of all funds from
State taxes.
Abolition of segregated funds, ex-
cept the gasoline and automobile
license taxes.
Abolition of the dairy and food de-
partment and transfer of duties to the
Department of Agriculture.
Abolition of the War History Com
mission. with the completion of this
work by the library board.
Standardization of automobiles pur-
chased by the State.
Preparation of a budget by each
board of supervisors or city council
80 days before the tax levy.
A State law fixing the fiscal year
the same for all counties and cities.
The issuance of no bonds by city