Evening star., 1944-03-04
Virginia House
Kills Measure
10 Aid Localities
Assembly Begins
Heavy Session
To Meet DeudIine
By the Associated Press.

~ tA1c aooOClStcQ TIeSS.
-, RICHMOND, Mar. 4.-The Senate
and House of Delegates met TODAY
for "bill-passing" sessions-the last
day on which either can consider
their own bills. It also was the
first Saturday to see both houses in
session.
Bills on the printed calendar and
bills not on the calendar are ex-
pected to be passed under suspen-
sion of constitutional readings to
prepare for the final week of the
1914 session, scheduled 10 adjourn
q week from today.
In the House yesterday support
ers of the Coburn House bill to give
counties and cities half of any sur
plus in the State treasury on June
80, 1916, lost their constitutional ma
jority and the bill was killed.
The bill, advanced to third read
ing Thursday by a vote Of So to 36
received vote of IS to IS on pass
age yesterday, but failed because 81
votes, a majority of those elected
were required. Delegate C. G. Ques-
enbery, a vigorous opponent, imme-
diately moved to reconsider the
vote, and the House refused, thus
preventing the bill from coming up
again at this session.
"Work or Else" Bill Passes.
The Senate passed, 27 to IL, the
Moses Hodges Gray work or else
bill despite doubts as to its consti-
tutionality voiced by many members
The measure makes all sane anc
ablebodied men between 18 and 3s
liable to fines and Jail sentences fol
refusal to work, but exempts persons
in labor disputes.
Amending previous action, the
Assembly adopted a resolution to
permit introduction during the last
week of any bill recommended by
the Governor, and the introduction
and consideration of any bill dealing
with soldier voting.
Senator M. M. Long, Wise, chair
man of the Senate Privileges and
Elections Subcommittee, announced
earlier that the American Legion
backed bill passed by the House was
running into strong opposition in
his committee and that a substitute
soldier voting measure was being
drafted. He did not reveal any de-
tails Of the new proposal.
Small Loan Bill Amended,
The House Insurance and Bank
Ing Committee amended the Senate
small loan bill to provide for an in
terest rate of 2h per cent a month.
As it passed the Senate, it provided
for a rate OF 3 per cent on loans UP
to $3.50 and 2 per cent on loans from
$3.50 to $500. Delegates advocating a
straight 2 per cent rate asked that
If the 2l2 per cent rate should be
adopted 1t be made effective for only
Two years. The committee decided,
however, that this would make the
rate an issue at the next session and
voted 6 to 5 for the straight az per
cent rate.
The Senate Finance Committee
net before today's Senate session to
consider the Daughton bill changing
The administration of the State Per-
'onnel Act to place authority in a
BOARD consisting Of the budget di-
rector, the head of a department
asking a personnel change, and an
other State ofncial named by the
The bill was prepared shortly after
\ Finance Subcommittee studying
starvation wages" paid by the
State made its report.
A week end of work faced the
Finance Committee, with Chairman
Weaver predicting that it
would spend Sunday trying to get
he s235.0o0,O00 appropriation bill
'eady for the Senate Monday. The
files are choked with
bills, and work on the appropriation
Dill has been delayed by public
hearings at almost every meeting.
The 500th red ribbon signifyins