Evening star., 1942-03-01
Virginia Senate
Passes Revised
Game Measure
Jail Reform Plan
Is Reported Out
ByCommittee

ny tne ASSoclAteo freSS.
RICHMOND, Va, Feb. 2S.-The
Senate passed today . bill revising
and recodifying the game laws,
while the House, in a busy session
in which Al measures were passed,
saw an effort begun to retain in the
appropriations bill the $l,O00,O00
item passed by the House for State
aid to localities in financing school
bus transportation.
The Senate Finance Committee,
meanwhile, reported an extensively
revised Jail reform program calling
for abolition of the fee system In
favor Of a salary method of COM
pensation for sheriffs and city
sergeants, and placing the jail and
parole system under Board Of Cor
rections and Parole Board.
The Senate passed without a dis
senting vote the bill which would
recodify for the first time in IL.
years the Virginia game. inland flsh
and dog laws. The measure, amend
ed extensively in committee, pro-
vides that the Game Commission
can adopt regulations changing
seasons and other hunting and fish,
ing conditions only once each year;
and then only on majority vote OF
the whole commission.
Would Raise Stamp Prices.
Other provisions call for raising
the price Of big game stampx- from
$1.00 to $1.50 for Virginia residents
and from $3.50 to $500 for non-resi-
dents, the additional so cents would
go to q fund for paying farmers
for livestock killed by bears and
crops damaged by deers in counties
west Of the Blue Ridge where deer
have been restocked once or more
in the last 10 years. The bill also
specifies that game wardens must
not be more than IS years of age
when appointed, but an amendment
stipulated that this would not af-
feet wardens in ONCE June 80, 1912.
The original bill was also amended
to prohibit the Game Commission
from shortening the bass season for
the Shenandoah River.
The bill would limit the commits
sion to consideration OF proposals
for revising its regulations only in
January and adoption Of such revi-
sions only in February. Under pres
ent law, proposals can be considered
and adopted at any time.
The movement to retain the school
bus aid for localities came in the
form of a petition from a group of
House members, led by Preston
Moses Of Pittsylvania. The appro-
priation bill is now before the SEN
ate Finance committee. Gov. Dar-
den and others have urged cutting
down appropriations to make ex-
penditures balance with expected
current revenues.
The Senate Finance Committee
plans to meet Monday to consider
the appropriations bill.
Jail Reform Changes.
In reporting today on the jail re-
form program, the Senate Finance
Committee made the following ma
jor4 changes:
Separation Of the Department Of
Corrections, which would supervise
the new system, from the Parole
Board instead Of having the two
interlocked as provided In the orig
inAl bills.
Elimination of the fixed number
OF 46 probation and parole officers
and permit the Parole Board to de-
termine the number Of probation
districts, and
Raise the minimum pay for sher-
if1s from 81 900 to 1000 a year and
lower the maximum for sheriffs and
city sergeants from $500 to $1,000
year. The State Compensation
Board would fix the salary of each
ofhcer within prescribed brackets.
The House made rapid-flre pro-
gress through voluminous calendar.
1t passed, among other measures.
the Neff-Spiers bill prohibiting the
sale OF liquor by drug stores in areas
which have voted dry. 1t also passed
the bill to provide for refund of a
portion of the motor vehicle license
fee when the vehicle cannot be
operated for lack of tires. The
vehicle owner would have to obtain
a certificate from his rationing
board stating that his tires are not
usable and that other tires cannot
be obtained, and would have to sur
render his license plates, to receive
the refund.
Slum Clearance Bill Approved.
The Senate passed, a. to 4, the
Hillard-Crowder bill authorizing
municipalities with housing author
tiles to condemn property for slum
clearance, even when new housing
is not to be built on the site of the
old.
Other measures passed in the
Senate included:
A bill by Senator Moses, Moseley
and Walden, creating State Certified
Seed Commission.
The Walter bill authorizing the
Governor to pledge virginia's ad-
herence to the Atlantic States
Marine fisheries compact.
The Senate also passed, after
taking up out of order, the Caudin
joint resolution directing the Legis-
lative Advisory Council to study the
advisability of abolishing the office
Of coroner.