Evening star., 1942-04-08
Ddrden vetoes
Eight Bills and
Signs Ten
FuIIs Church School
District Abolition
Is Approved

BY the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, April 8.(Gov.
Darden vetoed last night a bill to
settle claim against the Common
wealth, dating back to the Virginia.
West Virginia debt controversy,
which it was believed might open
the door to additional claims
amounting to $683,000.
Seven other acts of the 1912 Gen.
eral Assembly also died by pocket
veto" at midnight. and one item in
the biennial budget bill was vetoed
outright because of the passage of
other legislation superseding that
provision of the bill.
Three of the vetoed measures, in
Guiding two amending the city char
ter of Richmond. were duplicates of
Senate bills previously signed, A
bill by Senator Hunsdon Cary of
Henrico amending the law regulat-
ing small loan companies was al
lowed to die because of provision
reducing license fees and a House
amendment which Corporation
Commission officials believed weak
ened the present statute.
Except for the one item, the huge
appropriation measure, involving
funds totaling approximately s220.-
100000 for the two years beginning
July l, was approved.
10 Other Bills Signed.
The executive concluded his bill
signing task with approval of 10
other measures, the last of the batch
of 209 bills to come to his desk after
sine die adjournment of the Cen
eral Assembly March %.
The group of bills signed, in addi-
ton to the budget, included House
bill 545 abolshing the special town
school district of Falls Church.
The claim which the Governor
refused to honor was embodied in a
bill by Delegate Willis E. Cohoon of
Suffolk and called for the payment
of S1,08616 to the estate of Mary
Riddick in redemption of a certlfl-
cate of the Commonwealth issued
in 1871 and S3,258.50 in interest.
Both the principal and interest
we're to have been paid from pro-
ceeds of the settlement of the public
debt between Virginia and West
Virginia, but the certificate was not
presented for payment until jan
uary Is, 1899, which was Is days
after the date set by West Virginia
as the deadline for paying off these
obligations.
Precedent Feared.
The Governor was advised that II
the Riddick claim was paid as pro-
vided in the Cohoon bill, precedent
might be established for paying other
certificates outstanding amounting
to s683,O0
West Virginia came into the pic
ture by virtue of the fact that, after
Is years litigation, the United
States Supreme Court rendered a
Judgment against West Virginia in
1916 in the sum of SIS, 10000 in set
tlement of the debt controversy. In
1920 West Virginia issued $13,500 900
of 20-year bonds, from which ST.
133.500 was held in escrow for the
payment of certificates held by
bondholders who had not already
surrendered them to the Virginia
Debt Commission.
The Riddick certificate was among
these. but, not having been pre-
sented before the January l, 1889,
deadline set by West Virginia, the
question then arose whether Vir-
ginia was obligated to pay it.
The Governor suggested, in an
nouncing his veto, that the claim
might be presented at a future
session of the assembly in diff
ferent form so it would not estab-
nsh a precedent for the payment
of other claims.
Budget Item Eliminated.
Gov. Darden eliminated from the
budget bill an appropriation OF S59,-
400 each year for aid to counties in
administration of the Trial Justice
Act. 1t was pointed out that this
item was superseded by the passage
of House bill 1870, already approved
by the Governor, providing that the
State pay out of the appropriation
for criminal charges the entire sal
aries of trial justices, associate trial
justices, substitute justices and
clerks of these courts.
The bills dying by pocket veto,'
", addition, tho Colonor Y,oeo
included:
House bill 162 by E. Blackburn
Moore of Berryville, appropriating
s50,000 year for expansion of rural
library services An identical Senate
bill previously was approved by the
Governor.
Grant Acceptances Vetoed.
House bill 305 authorizing &C
ceptance of Federal grants and
equipment for war and defense pur-
poses. Under the bill, it was believed
the. United States could make grants
to any State department without au-
thority of the Governor.
House bill 10 by Mr.. Moore, au-
thorizing issuance of temporary in
struction permits to drivers over IA
years of age. Another bill previously
was approved making Is the
minimum age for drivers permits
and it was believed there might be
some conflict between the two.
House bill SOP by G. Alvin Massen-
burg of Hampton providing for the
payment of an extra days pay to
judges of elections who take the
ballots to the clerks Offices. The
Governor said this bill would cost
the State several thousand dollars.