Evening star., 1942-03-03
Limit Removed
On School Levy
in Fairfax
Law Is Enacted
Within an Hour
To Set Record
BY Staff Correspondent of The Star.

RICHMOND, March "a prob.
able record for quick enactment wa.
established yesterday when legisla.
ton to abolish the $125 ceiling or
the Fairfax County school levy was
sent to the Governor for signine
barely an hour after it was intro
duced In the General Assembly.
No emergency in Fairfax demand.
ed such haste, but 1t was necessary
that the legislation, requested BY
the County Board of supervisors
and County School Board be ham
died speedily for passage at the
present session.
Delegate Robert J. McCandlish
jr., OF Fairfax was unable to intro
duce the requested legislation in the
form of new bill because the dead
line Tor introduction of general laws
has passed. Even though it was a
local application, he had deter
mined a general law was necessary
to bring about the change.
Rescued by Another Bill.
The difficulty was overcome, how
ever, when it was discovered that
another bill by Delegate L. P. Collins
OF Marion, relating to the same Sec
tion of the law which Mr.. McCand-
hSh sought to amend, had been
passed by both branches of the As
sembly.
Mr.. McCandlish conferred with
Gov. Darden about the local legisla-
ton he sought to introduce and as a
result, the Chief Executive. as is
often done, sent the Collins bill back
to the Assembly with a suggested
amendment This change, incor-
porating Mr. McCandlishs recon-
mendation, was quickly accepted bv
the House and sent to the Senate
where Senator William D. Medley
obtained the concurrence of that
body. Another piece of local school
legislation has been handled by Mr..
McCandlsh in a similar manner
and is now pending in the Senate
for final action. This proposed law
provides for the abolition of the
Falls Church School District but
permits the Town Council to re-
establish that district at any time
on It's own motion.
In this instance, the Fairfax Dele
gate amended bill by Delegate T.
B. Tate of Danville, while that
measure was before the House for
passage. The coincidence there was
that the Tate bill also sought to
amend section of the code which
was necessary to be amended for the
Fairfax legislation. 49,.
The amendment to the Collins bin
now on the Governors desk also per-
mlts the imposition of a different
school levy in the various Fairfax
County school districts.
Mr.. McC andlish said that at the
request of the Falls Church Town
Council and School Board, he will
introduce a special act today to
clarity the language of the existing
law and remove any doubt that the
town may be assessed with a higher
levy than the rest of the Falls
Church school district, of which it
Will become part as soon as the
town district is abolished. The new
Falls Church school district viii
comprise the present magisterial
district of that name.
Another School Bill Up.
Meanwhile, the House Counties,
Cities and Towns Committee will
act this afternoon on a McCandlish
bill providing for a referendum to
determine which of three optional
methods for selecting School Board
members shall be adopted. The op-
tions to be presented the voters are
selection by the present method
appointment by the Board of Super
visors or direct election by voters.
Indications were given Yesterday
that bill by Mr.. McCandlish to
prohibit the annexation of Fairfax
County territory by Falls Church,
Alexandria or the proposed City of
Arlington will be killed in committee.
A subcommittee was named to study
the measure, particularly with re-
oPSSt w q IOllotlGuGlOlldl plOlllDlJlOIl
against enactment of any local an
neXation law.
Another bill, by Senator Burr p.
Harrison, prohibiting cities from
annexing large undeveloped areas
was reported by the Senate Courts
of Justice Committee yesterday. The
bill provides, however, that courts
holding annexation suits may vest
coming authority over such outside
territory in cities seeking to annex,
with a view of controlling the type
of future development of the ad-
joining territory.
The House indulged in some fun
making at yesterdays session, laugh
ing when Delegate c. G. Quesenbery
offered a resolution to make Dele
gate L. L. Triplett of Faquier the
States official greeter, asserting that
he was already functioning unof-
ficially. Mr. Triplett replied that
he thought the position ought to
m en,,,o