Evening star., 1944-02-18
Two Service Voting
Bills Vie for Favor
In Virginia Senate
Legion Boeks Measure
Requiring Stote to Pay
Poll Tox for Soldiers 4
By the Associated Press

80 SNAe nooOClAtc0 11e48,
RICHMOND, Feb. 1s.-Tvo billa
designed to extend the voting priv.
!ege TO Virginia servicemen were be.
fore the Senate Privileges and Elec.
tons Committee today as both
Houses Of the Virginia General AS
sembly prepared to expedite their
work before another weekend re.
cess.
indications were that both the
war voting bills-the Weaver ad-
mlnlstration measure and ths
American Legion-sponsored war
voters biu-would be debated on the
Senate floor. '
Legion onicials said they had
been promised that in the event
tnelr bill is not reported by the COM
mittee 1t would be offered on the
moor as a substitute for any other
Dill which may receive the commit.
tees Endorsement.
Would Pay Poll Tax.
The bill favored by the legion
provides for the payment by the
state Of poll taxes for the service.
men to meet the constitutional r..
qulrement Of poll tax payment as a
prerequisite to voting.
The Weaver bill is based m III.
Federal Soldiers and Sailors Votino
Act OF 1912 and calls for no poll taY
payment.
Proponents Of the Legion blll con.
tend the other measure would no.
extend the voting privilege to stata
sno local elections and is based on
doubtful grounds constitutionally.
sponsors Of the Weaver bill con.
tend 1t Is much less unwieldy than
tne other. 1t Is backed up by an
opinion Of Attorney General A. P.
staples that 1t is constitutional.
Boiler Code Bill Killed.
The House Committee on General
Laws Yesterday killed the Magruder
House bill providing a boiler in
spection code and referred to a sub
committee two House bills amending
tne virginia State Personnel Act.
Inc boiler inspection bill would have
provided board to promuleate
regulations and inspectors to s.e
that safety standards were carried
out
The Stallard House bill. also pro-
violng for boiler inspection, was
klned In committee shortly after .
nearing on both measures.
Two bills amending the State
Personnel Act were referred tn =
subcommittee by the House Com
mttee on General Laws. A sub.
committee composed Of Delezates
Boatwright. Moncure and Stokes
was named to study the Garner
House bill to divorce the Personne,
Act administration from the ONCE
OF the budget director.
1t also would allow department
heads to raise State workers within
+ grades provided for by the Hopkins
: House bill which the subcommittee
r also was to study.
Hospital for Alcoholics Studied.
Iaken under advisement by tn,
tSenate Finance Committee yester.
oay was . request for funds to es-
+, os0tc lecphtAl lOl the cAfG
ana treatment Of inebriates. The
Senate committee heard a number
OF witnesses, one Of whom told Il
that "a profit of almost SIS, ,o00. 900
mas been realized" from the alco.
holic beverage control system in the
State. 49, ''''
Prospects are that the Senate com.
mlttee also will hear a request to
provide funds for immediate salary
increases for State employees.
Senator L. U. Noland, Newport
News, said yesterday he will ask the
committee to provide for the in.
creases because he was satisfied
Virginia's revenue surplus would be
sufncient to stand it.
Senator Noland said he would re-
quest an increase of 80. per cent for
all employees earnings up to and in
Guiding $2,500 a year and 20 per cent
for those earning more than $500
and up to and including $500.