Evening star., 1942-03-14
Nearby Virginia
Bills Pass in
Closing Rush
Arlington Charter
Measure Goes to
Gov. Durden
BY ALEXANDER X. PRESTON,
Star Staff Correspondent,

General Assembly embarked on its
final day of the 1912 session nearly
a score of major legislative pro-
posals, held up in the Senate until
1t passed the s219 95O0,O 900 budget bill
yesterday, will be enacted in the
closing hours before adjournment
some time tonight.
The House yesterday concurred in
Senate amendments to the Arlington
Incorporation bill and sent it to the
Governor. Carrying an emergency
clause, the legislation will become
effective Immediately after the Gov
ernor signs it,.
After two hours of debate the
lower branch passed, 48 to 43, the
Glass-Goode Senate bill to zone
lands adjacent to airports and con-
but only after the original legisla-
tion was practically nullified with
the adoption of an amendment
which makes it operative only in
counties which give local approval
Delegate Franklin Daniel of Lynch
burg said the measure was designed
to bring State regulations in con-
formity with Civil Aeronautics Au-
thority regulations. Later the Sem
ate refused to accept the House
amendments and the bill was re-
ferred to conference committee
Delegate Maurice D. Rosenberg of
Alexandria voted for the bill, while
Delegates Charles r. FenWick of
Arlington County and Robert j. Nc
Candlish, jr., of Fairfax County
voted against it.
The House then passed, unan-
imously, the bill by Senator Cary
of Henrico County, introduced last
Saturday, to overcome features in
an existing law which was declared
unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court of Appeals last week. The
new legislation abolishes require
ment that certain ordinances passed
by the governing bodies of certain
counties be submitted to the Circuit
Court judge for approval. The coun-
ties affected are those adjacent to
cities of 125.000 population or more,
including Arlington.
Speed Jurisdiction Retained.
Delegate j. Williams of Henrico
submitted an amendment to the
bill, however, to remove all possible
doubt that it would affect the pow
ers of Arlington County, to pass
ordinances controlling speed limits
within it's boundaries He also
amended it to specifically prohibit
the counties affected from passing
ordinances to levy license fees on
businesses or professions, power
which city councils now have.
Among measures passed by the
Senate yesterday was the bill by Del
egate John B. Spires of Radford,
Mr.. Rosenberg and others providing
an actuarially sound retirement sys-
tenn for State teachers and employees.
The vote was "a to and the meas
ure was returned to the House for
concurrence in amendment.
Senator A. E. S. Stephens of Isle
of Wight County said the Finance
Committee had amended the meas
ure so as to reduce by so per cent
the States liability, which amounted
to an estimated s270O0,000 under the
original bill. The result Of the
amendment would be to pay all
those beneftting under the plan in
proportion to contributions, he said.
The maximum pension allowed
under the amendments was reduced
from $1,000 to $1,000 annually, he
said, and the contributions of the
teachers and of other State en-
ployes would be segregated in two
separate funds. A third amend
ment would prohibit any beneficiary
from withdrawing his deposits in less
than two years, and provision was
made for depositing the forfeited
contributions in the reserve OF the
teachers or employees segregated
fund.
Kill Large Contributions.
The Senate turned down COM
mittee amendment which would
have permitted contributions OF
more than per cent of salaries.s
The upper branch killed bill by
Delegates S. B. Campbell of Wythe-
vile and Mr.. Spiers which was de-
signed to repeal law passed at the
1910 session prohibiting the Cover
nor from filling any Circuit Court
vacancy unless the necessity Is first
certified by the Supreme Court OF
Appeals. The existing law. which
continues in effect, will require the
Supreme Court to certify the neces-
sity for filling vacancies as long as
there are Is judicial circuits. The
1910 act was passed to carry out the
General Assembly's desire to reduce
the number of judicial circuits.
The effect of the Senate's action
yesterday will continue to make
difficult, if not impossible, the dis
memberment of the circuit of Judge
Walter T. Mccarthy of Arlington, If
such dismemberment were desirable.
Judge Mccarthy presides over one
of the busiest circuits in the State.
Relief may be afforded Judge Nc
Carthy, however, should Arlington
voters vote in a referendum to be-
come a city, as provided in the Ar
lington incorporation bill. In that
event a corporation court would be
created to relieve the Circuit Court
of criminal jurisdiction in Arlington
and to partially relieve Judge Nc
Carthy of civil suits now brought
before him.
Truck Tax Revised.
On motion of Senator Aubrey G.
Weaver of Front Royal, the Senate
passed out of order the bill by Dele
gates Charles R. Fenwick of Arling-
ton, Edgar r. Conner of Prince Will
liam County and others revising the
method of taxing trucks, the result
of a two-year study by commission
headed by Mr.. Fenwick. At the
same time Senator Weaver's amend
ment reducing from so cents to As
cents the maximum license rate on
trucks with a gross weight of more
than $4,000 pounds. was adopted.
Another amendment, on which the
House will be asked to concur to-
day, is provision to exempt operators
of two or less trucks weighing up to