Evening star., 1938-02-05
S|GNB0ARD BILL
FIGHT DUE TODAY
Battle Also Foreseen at
Richmond on Sunday Beer
Sale Measure.
BY the Associated Press.

~S~sS sVsSASNI ~
BY the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, Feb. 5.-The
Virginia Legislature, working on Sat-
urday for the first time this session,
plunged today into disposition of sew
eral important and controversial bills.
Bills up for passage were expected
to draw little opposition. but de-
batable measures on regulating high
way billboards and local option for
banning wine and beer sales on Sum
day were almost certain to be tar
gets for a barrage of amendments on
second reading.
The bill aimed at regulating, re-
stricting and licensing billboards was
accompanied by page of amend
ments drafted when the House
Finance Committee reported it favor
ably after hearing women's clubs and
their allies advocate it and outdoor
advertising and organized labor op-
pose it.
Amendments Due.
Spokesmen for these opponents
were expected to present other
amendments on the floor. should the
House reach the measure today, to
reduce its effectiveness in the event
they could not defeat it, The COM
mittee amendments did not change
the intent of the bill or it's salient
features. a licensing provision aimed
at eliminating small "snipe' signs
and reducing the number of other
signs.
Senator r. r. Parker's bill grant
ing local governments the right to
prohibit the Sunday sale of wine and
beer within their jurisdiction was on
second reading in the Senate. in the
same position it occupied for three
days.
Senator w. A. Garret Thursday tried
to have the bill sent to the Finance
Committee on the ground that state
revenues were involved. but withdrew
MS motion after the patron said the
move was designed to kill the measure.
Parker asked it be passed by temper
arily.
School Bill Up.
Senator w. M. Tuck's bills to per-
nit loans from the State literary fund
for school building construction up to
100000 instead of $4,000, and to
permit towns constituting separate
school districts to borrow from the
fund were up for passage, with no
opposition in sight.
Other measures ready to be approved
were Senator Morton c. Goodies bills to
create the Petersburg Colony for Fee
ble-minded Negroes and to permit the
State Hospital Board to use the income
from unclaimed patients funds for
entertainment and recreation of pa
tients at the State hospitals.
The Page-Apperson-B Bivins bill for
establishing a nautical training school
at Virginia Tech also awaited approval.
Appiontees Confirmed.
On second reading in the House was
the Stephens-Coleman bill for fixing
maximum speed limit for passenger
automobiles at SIS miles per hour, with
lower brackets for other types of We
hicles. The bill, drawn by the legisla-
tive advisory council as a safety meas
ure, would replace the present law of a
hour blanket speed limit.
with violation prima facie evidence of
reckless driving.
Gov. Prices seven appointees to
State offices. announced Monday, were
quickly and unanimously approved
yesterday by both houses, and Col Le-
roy Hodges, who will succeed E. r.
Combs as comptroller, conferred with
Gov. Price and others after the legis-
lators' action. He will take office
March 1.
Immediately after voting the con-
firmations the two houses went into
joint order and reelected 13 judges.
Reported Second Time.
The House General Laws Commit.
tee late yesterday reported for the
second time the bill limiting the
hours of women workers in industry
to 8 day and 48 a week. It still
exempts women employees of mer-
camille stores in towns of less than
5000.
An agreed bill applying the Work.
mems Compensation Act to employers
OF 3 or more persons instead Of II
or more and raising compensation
from $14 to SIS weekly and the total
from $4,500 to $1,000 was reported
BY the same committee.
The group referred to a subcom-
mittee Of DR.. w. c. Caudill of Giles
Martin Of Gloucester, Blackwell Of
Lunenburg, Britt of Southampton
and Lewis of Essex the bill recurring
q physicians certificate of freedom
from venereal disease, tuberculosis
and insanity before an applicant can
obtain . marriage license
After q two-hour hearing on the
Legislative AdviSory Councils bill for
soil conservation districts to combat
erosion which has damaged more than
100000 acres Of land in Virginia.
the Senate Committee on Agriculture
continued the matter until 10 am.
Wednesday, when Senator H. T. Wick
ham will be heard in opposition. :,