Evening star., 1932-01-23
INCREASED TAXES
OR FEES OPPOSED
House Adopts Joint
Resolution Favoring Re-
trenchment Policy.
BY LESTER N. INSKEEP,
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

RICHMOND, Va, January 23.-Pas-
sage by the House of Delegates of a
joint resolution declaring retrench-
ment to be the policy of the General
Assembly and providing for no increase
either in taxes or fees, and the intro
duction of a resolution that would, If
passed, prevent the consideration of
any bills carrying appropriations until
after the appropriations bill has been
disposed of, featured the weeks closing
session of the lower body of the As
sembly.
In the Senate the trend toward
wholesale salary cuts was brought to
halt by the passage of a resolution
that would require a careful investlga-
tion of all salaries by joint commit
tee of the two houses. The resolution
was adopted and sent to the House.
Starts Heated Debate.
resolution that would prevent imme-
diate consideration of bills carrying ap-
propriations precipitated the most
heated debate of the present session,
Delegate E. C. Folkes Of Richmond de-
claring that the Appropriations Com
mittee was attempting to supplant the
authority of the General Assembly.
I'VE ask our leaders to show confidence
in us until we have violated their
trust" he said.
The opposition was joined by Dele
gate Hugh Reid of Arlington County,
who declared that past experience
would indicate that the passage Of such
a resolution would tie the hands OF the
House until the end Of the present
session.
Chairman Ashton c. Dovell of the
Appropriations Committee explained
that the resolution was an attempt to so
simplify the task confronting his COM
mittee that the appropriations bill could
be reported early in February. When it
became clear that the matter could not
be settled yesterday he moved that 1t be
passed by for the present. The Appro-
priations Committee will start hearings
on Monday.
Would Lower Exemptions.
Income tax exemptions would be re-
duced to the level that existed prior to
the 1880 session, under the terms OF a
bill offered by Delegate Y. M. Hodges of
Mecklenburg. He proposed in the bill
that exemptions for unmarried persons
without dependents be reduced from
81 $50 to $1,000; married persons from
So 300 to $4,000 and for each dependent
from S400 to $3.50.
Numerous bills were thrown into the
House hopper yesterday. Most of them
were for the purpose of clarifying pres
ent sections of the code with respect to
court procedure.
The first bill of the present session to
pass both houses ard 60 to the Gov
ernor for his signature was the Senate
bill reducing the tax on seed oysters
shipped out of the State from cents
to cents. The measure passed the
House yesterday.
In introducing the resolution in the
Senate that would call for thorough
investigation before complying with
Gov. Pollard's proposals to reduce all
State salaries 10 per cent, Senator Au-
brey G.. Weaver of Front Royal declared
that he does not believe that the cut
ting of salaries of clerks making $50
month will help the taxpayers OF
anybody else"
Claiming that he is in the Senate
to see that Virginia follows policy OF
real economy, Senator Weaver stated
that there are hundreds Of State Off
GERS who are receiving too much salary
and some who are scarcely receiving
a living wage. II will be an ardent
supporter of any measure that will re,
duce some salaries as much as rs pei
cent" he declared, because the COM
pensation of some of these officers Il
out of all proportion to the service
| they render"
The Senate Courts of Justice Com
mittee, meeting Immediately after ad
journment, took up the case of Judgt
Thomas B. Robertson of the Hopewel
Corporation Court, and after hearing
the petition asking his removal, re
ported out House resolution calling
for an investigation Of the case by
Joint committee Of the two branches
of the Assembly.