Evening star., 1942-01-18
Virginia State
Assembly Will
Meet Tomorrow
Poll Tax Exemption
For Men in Service
To Be Considered
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, Jan. ia
legislative proposal to exempt mer
in military service from the pol
tax requirement for voting was
made ready today for introduction
in the House of Delegates when the
General Assembly conveneS for its
first Inauguration week session
Monday.
Delegate Preston Moses of Pitt
sylvania will offer the proposal In
the form of joint resolution calling
for a constitutional amendment to
lift the obligation of prepayment of
poll taxes from any asSessable
service man while he is in service
with the Army. Navy, Marine Corps
or Coast Guard.
Such an amendment would re-
quire approval of two General As
semblies and a referendum to the
voters.
The measure is in line with a sug-
eestion in the address of Gov Price
on the state of the Commonwealth
to joint session of the House and
Senate on the opening day of the
1912 Assembly.
Emergency Prompts Move.
THE present emergency confirms
. me in my opinion that something
should be done about the poll tax. -
the Governor said in his message
This provision should either be
properly liberalized or amended, or
else abolished altogether Our young
men are being called into the armed
service of the country and the great
majority of them are risking their
lives for S21 per month. Visualize
them, If you can, coming back to the
home of Jefferson, Mason. Madison
and others and not being permitted
to take an active interest in public
affairs for the reason that poll taxes
and penalties may definitely exclude
them from the right of suffrage and
OF an active participation.
With the exception of veterans of
the War Between the States, their
wives or widows. all voters in Vir-
ginia registering must have paid
their poll taxes for the three years
Immediately preceding the period
In which they offer to vote or for
one year If they have come of age in
the year in which they seek to vote
The Moses resolution includes all
health officers attached to the serv-
ice in addition to the regular mill
tary personnel.
Calendar Is Crowded.
Inauguration week. whose high
point comes at noon Wednesday
when Colgate w. Darden. IT, of
Norfolk is sworn in as Virginia S
60th Governor under the constitu-
ton and the 25th elected by the
people, will find the legislators con-
fronted by crowded calendar.
The names of Sc persons ap-
pointed to State positions by Gov.
Price are expected to be presented
to the Assembly for confirmation on
Monday, with the Senate required to
act on 80 alone and both houses
required to act on the other II.
James A. Anderson, highway COM
missioner; Cassius M. Chichester,
director of the division of statutory
research and drafting; Col. William
M. Kemper. member of the Unem-
ployment Compensation Commis-
sion, and Maj Frank P. Evans,
chairman of the U. c. c., are among
those whose appointments require
aDprOyal bV both houses.
On Monday. also. the House APP
preparations Committee which has
the S217,0O0o00 biennial bill before
1t will hold its first meeting Chair
man Frank Moore of Rockbridge,
said he would seek joint conference
action with the Senate Finance
Committee as quickly as possible.
Jail Reform Report Awaited.
The Senate Finance Committee
expects to hear Tuesday from the
subcommittee to which it referred
Jail reform legislation. This sets up
department of corrections, pro-
vides for probation and parole and
aboliShes the fee system of COM
pensating sheriffs and city sergeants
ulld lllCil Sdldt V vi dIhCIS.
Finance Chairman Aubrey Weav-
er said he hoped to get the legisla-
tion to the Senate floor on Tuesday
if the subcommittee report is
forthcoming in time
The Senate and House committees
handling the appropriation bill, hop
ing to get it into the Governor S
hands before the final day, have
established a time table for joint
public hearings. It is planned to
conclude the hearings by Friday.
A. joint statement by Chairmen
Moore and Weaver set the first
hearing for 8 pm. Tuesday at which
time the budgets of State welfare
agencies will be considered.
Hearings on Tuesday.
Health and labor agencies will be
heard at pm. Tuesday. At the con-
clusion of the session employees who
wish to appear in connection with
the war bonus" increase for basic
State salaries will be heard.
There will be no hearings Wednes-
day because of the Inauguration
program but the joint committee will
resume work at pm. Thursday for
the discussion of agriculture and
conservation appropriations,
Budgets of State educational in
stitutions and the State Board of
Education will be discussed later as
will those of the finance agencies,
the Department of Highways, the
A. B. c. Board, State Corporation
Commission and other departments
Mrs Enoe Rau Aaa1e