Evening star., 1934-02-04
VIRGINIA SESSION
CALENDAR LIGHT
Liquor Control and Reds.
tricting Principal Issues
This Week.
BY LESTER INSKEEP.
Stan Correspondent of The Star.

reconvene Monday to face the small
est calendar for the fourth week OF
the biennial conclave In the memory
Of many Of the oldest members Of the
Oldest legislative body in the United
States
What the legislation lacks in vol
ume, however, is made up in the i'm
portance Of the matters before the
Assembly. since the coming week is
expected to witness the passage Of
the liquor control bill In the Senate
and definite House action on the re-
districting bill. with the result Of
the vote much more In doubt than
when the amended bill was taken up
In the Senate.
The liquor bill goes to the Senate
from the House, and the redistricting
bill goes to the House after passage
in the Senate.
Consideration of the liquor bill will
be taken up by the Senate Finance
Committee Tuesday morning. and it
Is generally believed that the meas
ure can be reported without much
delay, since the committee is familiar
with all phases Of the bill except the
amendments adopted by the House
and Of these only a few are of major
importance.
Senate Fight on Salaries.
While stiff fight Is seen on GER
tain provisions Of the measure, par
ticularly with respect to the salaries
OF the members of the Control Board.
1t Is expected that the liquor bill will
flnd smoother sailing in the Senate
than will the redistricting bill in the
House
Ashton c. Dovell, floor leader. said
today that he believes the bill in its
present form to be as unconstitutional
as the one passed in 1892 and indi-
Gated that it would have his opposi-
tion and that Of his many followers
when 1t reaches the House floor.
Senator John j. Wicker. ir., of
Richmond announced that he will
seek the insertion of an amendment
which will force the State into the
distilling business and specifically
designate the Alcoholic Beverages
Control Board as q State instrument
tally so the State may avoid payment
Of the Federal tax on the LIQUOR
manufactured and sold by it.
The amendment will state that
there is an emergency existing which
makes such action on the part of the
State necessary. The emergency will
be based upon the alleged poor quality
of the liquor available. its limited
quantity, and the price, which is
thought to be too high to permit the
State to compete with bootleg prices.
The Federal Government cannot
tax State instrumentality, Senator
Wicker said. so he believes that all
liquor manufactured by the board for
sale by that body for revenue raising
purposes will not be subject to taxa
ton.
Following consideration Of the re.
districting bill, or even before 1t is
expected that the House will take up
and promptly pass the substitute auto
mobile license tax reduction bill. since
this has the support Of the Governor
and generally carries out the CAM
paign promises Of most Of the mem
bers. 1t contemplates reduction in
price from 70 cents to 40 cents a hum
dred pounds, with q minimum cost
placed at $40.
Dovell, who also is chairman of the
Appropriations Committee, said that
he believes there have been at least
500 less bills introduced than usual
az this time in q session and for
that reason thinks that the task will
be relatively easy after the more
controversial measures are disposed
Of
Revolt on Regulation.
There are several reasons for the
relatively small number of bills, he
said One is that there is a general
revolt against regulatory measures.
| dozens Of which are ordinarily in
troduced at each session. The lack
! OF local bills is due largely, he believes,
to the fact that the localities have no
desire to or do not need to secure
money for public improvements under
bond issues authorized by the As
sembly. In many instances, he said,
governing bodies know it would be
| useless to place bond issues before
the people and in many others their
needs have met with money received
from the Public Works or Civil Works
Administrations.
Still another reason he gives Is that
the various departments and agencies
OF the State government. which ordi-
narily seek and secure much legisla-
I tion for additional funds, have reached
the conclusion that to request more
| money for extensions and further
development would be a waste of
time and to press the Assembly at
this time might endanger their
chances when times get better.
The Assembly faces the increasing
demand for relief from real estate
taxes on the one hand and increased
school appropriations on the other,
and so far no one has come forward
with solution Of the problem. State
Tax Commissioner C.. H. Morrissett
said in recent report that . sales
tax Is the only answer and even he
refused to advocate it at this time.
School officials are urging passage of
Gov. Peery'S tax program and adv0-
Gates Of real estate tax reduction are
opposing 1t. with the latter tn ap-
parent majority at this time.
Local Option Elections.
The House is expected to take up
and pass the bills permitting local
option elections on the repeal Of the
Sunday laws as they affect moving
pictures and sports.
Budget hearings Monday and We'd
nesday nights, bus.truck regulation
hearings Tuesday night and hearings
on the pari-mutuel racing bills on
Thursday night are the more impor-
tant joint Senate and House COM
mittee hearings scheduled for the
week.
INDUSTRIAL SAVINGS