Evening star., 1942-02-19
Assembly Seen
Hiking gWon1en's S
Working Hours
Final Action Due
In House; States.
Labor Chief Quits
Sy the Associated Press.

RICHMOND, Va, Feb. 19.-Emer-
gency legislation permitting women
to work as many as Sc hours week
In Virginia's war industries on au-
thorization of the State labor COM
missioner went before the House of
Delegates for final action today
Passage seemed certain as the
measure has already been voted by
the Senate, was unanimously re-
ported by the House Labor Com
mittee and reached third reading on
the calendar without debate.
The House also had ready for
passage its bill applying the State
workmen's compensation law to en-
ployers with eight or more employees,
instead of II as under present law.
Gov. Darden had asked that the
law be applied to employers with
three or more workers.
The Senate appeared ready to
pass House bill making the steal
ing Of tires and tubes felony.
Labor Commissioner Resigns.
Gov. Darden was expected soon
to submit to the Assembly his ap-
pointment of Johns Hopkins Hall
State labor commissioner, succeeding
Thomas B. Morton, who resigned to
join the Federal Labor Cancellation
Service, with Offices in Richmond.
Mr.. Hall was labor commissioner
for l6 years until former Gov. Price
displaced him in 1888 and appointed
Mr.. Morton, a former Richmond
Councilman. During the last four
years Mr.. Hall, former president
of the Virginia Federation of Labor.
has been a technical adviser to the
Social Security Board in Washing
ton.
The Governor said Mr.. Morton
would be given office space by the
State in an experimental co-opera-
tive arrangement with the Federal
Government. In return, Mr. Morton
will aid in conciliating labor dis
puteS and thus provide service the
Governor said had long been desired
in Virginia.
Mr.. Morton's resignation, submit
ted yesterday, becomes effective
March /, but the Governor said he
had asked Mr.. Hall to come here as
soon as possible.
The Senate Fish and Game Com
mittee yesterday voted to report out
q bill as amended by a subcommit-
tee, recodifying the game, inland
fish and dog laws of Virginia. The
bill was recommended by the Fish
and Game Commission.
Gov. Darden signed more than 20
bills, including measures reducing
the interest rate on literary fund
loans to local school boards from
4 to 3 per cent and raising from 30
to IS per cent of the cost OF pro-
posed school buildings the amount
which may be borrowed from the
fund.
Five Bills Killed.
Before starting work on It's calen-
dar, the House adopted joint reso-
luton establishing committee OF
seven members, including three
from the House, two from the Sen
ate and two appointed by the Cover
nor, to prepare recommendations
for the next Assembly on a compre-
hensive plan for examining and
licensing persons practicing the
"healing arts" The committee also
would look into the question OF pre-
venting practice of unqualified per-
sons. The vote was IA to g..
The House Courts of Justice Com
mittee killed five related bills, in
troduced by Delegate Charles Fen
wick of Arlington, and others, de-
signed to curb regulatory powers OF
State agencies. The committee, in
killing the bills, suggested that the
patrons offer a resolution providing
q commission to study the question
further and report to the next
Assembly.
Objections from Mr.. Fenwick and
Maurice Rosenberg of Alexandra to
provisions of bill authorizing local
housing authorities to act as agents
of the Federal Government in de-
tense housing projects resulted in
the bill being placed in the hands
of a Senate General Laws Subcom-
mittee.
Senator M. M. Hillard of Ports
mouth, sponsor OF the bill. said,
however, that objections to the bill
could be overcome by an amend
ment. Senators william D. Medley
of Arlington and Maitland Bustard
of Danville were named to serve
with Mr.. Hillard on the subcom-
mittee.
Mr.. Fenwick said his county was
losing taxable values all the time
and objected particularly to the
bills lifting of restrictions as to zon-
ing and sanitation insofar as the
proposed Federal projects were con-