Evening star., 1942-09-17
Darden Calls
Special Session
On Public Debt
Assembly to Weigh
Plan to Liquidote
Virginia Surplus
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, Sept. 17.-Th,
Virginia General Assembly will con
vene in special session Tuesday
September 20. to consider a plar
evolved by Gov. Darden for wipins
out the States $18,159, ,999 debt ane
perhaps to act on "other wartim.
emergency legislation"
The Governor, after conferrine
with legislative leaders and fisca
advisers, issued the call last night
but did not elaborate on the propo.
sails he would submit to the session
the sixth extra session in Virginia n
the past % years The last one was
IN December, 1886, for the enactment
of State unemployment compensa-
tion law.
Those called into conference be-
fore the announcement was made
gave unanimous approval to the ses-
sion, and Senator Aubrey G. Weaver
OF Front Royal, chairman of the
Senate Finance Committee, said he
had mo doubt a resolution will be
promptly adopted by the legislators
confining the deliberations of the
General Assembly to such measures
Us the Governor may submit
Brief Session Seen.
1t this is done, the session prob
ably would last only a few DAYS.
Il am calling" the Governor said,
a special session of the General As
sembly IN order to lay before them a
plan to liquidate the public debt,
The treasurer and I have for some
time been at work on the program
to be submitted. Changes in the
provisions of the sinking fund and
an appropriation of the monies
needed for the operation required
certain changes in the statutes cov-
ering these subjects.
THE special session is being called
to deal with the public debt. How
ever, ! shall submit such other war
time emergency legislation as may
be deemed necessary"
Tayloe Murphy, the State treas
urer who resigned from the House
OF Delegates to accept appointment
by the Governor to his present post.
was among those present at the con-
ference In the Governors Office last
night.
Enough Funds in Treasury.
The States total public debt
amounts only to $18, 8,159 900, of which
Sl4.731 900 is payable from the gen.
eral fund and $3,423, 600 from the
State highway fund. In the treas
ury there Is far more than enough to
discharge the whole amount.
The general fund has an unobli-
gated surplus of $18,639, $50; there is
an officially undisclosed, but large,
balance in the sinking fund, and
there are millions OF dollars ear
marked by the 1912 General AS
sembly for capital outlays that can
not be spent because of the war.
A large portion of this money is
yielding little if any income.
The Governor obviously felt he
had a sound plan to offer, because
the last special session in 1886 cost
$77,355. The regular session of 1912
entailed expenditures amounting to
$175,o00
Floor Leader G. Alvin Massenburg
of Hampton, in a statement issued
coincidental with the Governors an
nouncement, said he was in thorough
accord with the Governors action
and declared this "a most opportune
time to save the State considerable
sum of money by revising some of
the laws pertaining to our invest
ments."
1t. Gov. William M. Tuck, who
presides over the Senate, also ex-
pressed approval and said he did
not believe the session would be
more than few days. Speaker
Thomas B. Stanley of the House
declared the best time to prepare
for retirement of debt was when
funds were available, and likewise
approved the Governors call.
Others who joined in the Gov
"a ARSA . SoAAANl WClC oldGc NOIl-
troller Henry G. Gilmer, Budget
Director j. H. Bradford, Tax Com
missioner C. H. Morrissett, Attorney
General A. P. Staples, Senate Clerk
E. r. Combs, House Clerk E. Grif-
fifth Dodson and Col. Peter Saun-
ders, the Governors executive sec
retary Senator Henry T. Wick
ham, the 93-year-old President pro
tenn of the Senate, was not present
but approved the call.
Not more than IS Senators and "a
House members will attend, as there
are five Senate vacancies and three
House members have resigned, three
are dead and approximately 10
others are serving with the armed
forces.