Evening star., 1942-01-23
Wysor Renamed
Road Board
ByGov. Darden
Assembly Groups
Begin Study Of
Three Measures
By the Associated Press.

fL1Cl1MOND, va, Odll. Ao.-hCtiiiS
within "a hours of the resignation
of Lee Long of Dante, Gov. Darden
today appointed j. Frank Wysor of
Pulaski, to his Old place on the Vir-
ginia State Highway Commission.
Mr.. Long was appointed by former
Gov. Price to succeed Mr.. Wysor but
resigned yesterday because he said
1t was clear his appointment would
not be confirmed by the General
Assembly. At Gov. Darden's re-
quest, Mr.. Long made his resignation
effective February /.
Mr.. Wysor was the third State
official to return to his former post,
after temporary displacement dur
ing. Gov. Prices administration,
since the present Governor was
inaugurated.
Saunders and Combs Named.
Col. Peter Saunders was named
executive secretary to the Governor
again and E. R. Combs resumed his
former post as chairman of the
State Compensation Board.
Gov. Darden, however, late yeSter-
day announced the reappointment
of Dabney S. Lancaster as State
superintendent of public instruction,
to which he had been named
by Mr.. Price on the resignation of
DR.. Sidney B. Hall a few months
ago. The superintendents term
runs concurrently with that of the
Governor.
The General Assembly, mean
while, was rapidly swinging into
stride. Sessions of both Houses be-
ginning at noon were sandwlched
between committee meetings, in
cluding another joint session of the
House appropriations and Senate
finance groups at 3 pm. for further
public hearings on the budget bill.
Senators William A. Wright OF
Essex and Aubrey G. Weaver OF
Warren offered a joint resolution
today to put the Legislature on rec
ord for the second consecutive ses-
sion as opposing diversion of high
way revenues to purposes other than
roads.
The declaration, similar to one
adopted by the Assembly of 1910,
would reiterate the position that all
revenues derived from taxes on
motor fuels and from motor vehicle
registration fees and licenses, after
deductions for refunds and other
necessary expenses, should be used
solely and exclusively for the con-
struction, reconstruction, mainte-
nance and repair of public highways
and bridges and for the necessary
policing thereof"
A resolution introduced in 1910
calling for q constitutional amend
ment to prohibit road fund diver
sions was killed, but the resolution
expressing the view of the Assembly
on the question went through easily.
Will Get Defense Plan Soon.
The Assembly will receive soon
possibly the first of next week
legislation carrying out Gov. Dar-
den's plan to vest full authority for
civilian defense in city and county
officials.
The Governor himself will head
the civilian defense organization, he
explained at press conference yes
terday, with a capable liaison man
to handle details with the officials
of the 100 counties and "a cities.
He sketched for newspapermen his
proposed setup to replace the State
and regional defense councils estab-
lished by Mr.. Price.
Other major points he stressed
were plans to relieve the Virginia
protective force of guard duty on
highways; stronger enforcement OF
traffic laws to reduce deaths on the
highways; a maximum speed limit
of 40 or As miles per hour; convic-
ton and punishment-with no hope
of pardons- s-of drunken drivers, and
positive outlawing of slot machines.
In discussing the new defense
setup, Gov. Darden said he would
propose that the Arlington -Alexan-
dria- Fairfax area be included in the
District of Columbia defense area,
provided the District of Columbia
will assume responsibility
At conference with municipal
and county officials yesterday Gov.
Darden asked that committees
named to consider the necessary leg
islation for the new setup have their
bills ready Monday.
State Council Unlikely.
Meeting with approximately 80
representatives of Virginia cities to
chart the future of the States civil
ian defense machinery, the Cover
nor specifically advised against a
multiplicity of citizen councils and
said he doubted very seriously" if
he would re-establish State de-
fense council.
City Attorney Horace H. Edwards
Of Richmond said cities were
afraid" that under the council set
up the regional defense agencies
would come in and tell city officials
what to do with their fire depart
ments, police departments and other
personnel and equipment.
Delegate E. Blackburn Moore of
Berryville yesterday offered a bill
to repeal the States 1910 alcoholic
beverage taxes.
Mr. Moore said the State Tax De-
partment estimated repeal of the
40 per cent sales tax on liquor and
wine and the half-cent additional
Tax on beer selling for more than 10
cents a bottle would cut down the
States revenue, on the present basis,
by approximately 50, ,700, 900 a year.
I Mr.. Darden advocated repeal of
the taxes in the interest of eliminat-
ing bootlegging.
Compensation Bill.
Delegates E. T. Humphries and
james N. Garrett Of Norfolk County
Offered bill to carry out Gov. Dar-
den's recommendation for extension
of .Workmen's Compensation Act
-coverage to employers of three or
more, persons. compared with the
present II or more.
A second bill by Delegates Hum
phries, Garrett and william Mel.
Ferguson of Newport News would in