Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-13
EDUCATION SEEN
CHIEF STATE DUTY
Equalization Fund in Budget
Most important Assembly
Act, Governor Says.
BY LESTER N. INSKEEP,
stan Correspondent Of The Star.

RICHMOND, Va, March 13.-The
most outstanding accomplishment OF
the recent session of the General As
sembly was the passage by that body OF
the $500 600 equalization fund item in
the budget. This is the opinion OF the
governor, as expressed exclusively to a
reporter of The Star.
Declaring that the equalization funo
ais the most important educational step
taken by the State of Virginia IN tne
past decade" Gov. Pollard said that
"for the first time in the history OF TINS
State every child will, through the
equalization fund, be permitted full
eight-month school term"
Onslaught Defeated.
Largely through the influence of the
governor, one onslaught on this half
million dollar item in the budget was
defeated when the Assembly refused to
pass the bill of Delegate Wilbur @. Hall
Of Loudoun County, whereby a portion
Of the fund would be used for the fur
nishing of free text books to all OF the
rural elementary schools in the State.
while recognizing the advantages OF
free text books" the governor declared,
IT believe that first every child should
be given the opportunity for fun use OF
the books now at his disposal. In many
OF The counties of the State the chhdren
are, through the financial condition Of
the local governing bodies, permitted to
attend school but little more than q
half of the standard session.
Education" the governor said, rs
the function Of the whole State, to be
exercised for the equal benefit OF all
children within its borders and the
State should provide equal opportunities
for all, without penalizing the poorer
counties that do not have the taxable
values in their midst. just as, for the
protection of the State, the rich man
must be taxed to educate the poor mans
children, so the rich community must
help the weak.
mot only is this sound public policy,
but its business becomes the more APP
parent when we remember that fully
one-haf of the children educated in the
poor county sections spend their adult
lives in. the centers OF wealth, which
become the chief beneficiarieS of rural
education. Taxes must follow wealth,
schools must follow children"
Arlington Delegates Failed.
Arlington County's two representatives
in the Assembly failed in their one
effort 10 amend the equalization fund
item by striking out the provision that
distribution, Of the fund should not be
used in. any way to increase local levies.
Delegate Hugh Reid offered an
amendment cutting out this provision
when the appropriation bill was before
the House and the amendment was de-
feated In the Senate, however, when
it was offered by Senator Frank L. Ball,
it was adopted, but was later cut out
by the conference committee after the
two Houses had failed to agree upon
the general bill and was not reinserted
before passage.
Their idea was that the State Board
Of Education should be permitted to In
sist that the counties sharing in the
fund lay sufficient local levies to match
the money given by the State. They
fear that under the present arrange
ment some of the counties may be
tempted to use the equalization fund for
their entire educational program instead
of using 1t to strengthen the present
levy In order to provide additional edu-
cational opportunities.