Evening star., 1944-01-20
Virginia House Unit
Weighs Plan 10 Cut
Auto Fees 50 Pei.
McCondIish Offers Bill
Permitting Voters to
Pass on Annexutions
BY the Associated PresS.

H1Ct1MONO, va, Jan. 2O.-MeaS
ures to reduce automobile licens'
fees were ready for initial considera
ton today by the House Roads Com
mittee. called to meet prior to tn,
convening at noon OF the twt
branches Of the Virginia Genera
Assembly.
Both House and Senate have re.
ceived bill to cut from 40 to n
cents hundred pounds the licens.
fee on automobiles, and the Houss
has in addition the widely heraldee
bill to reduce to a fat IS fee thu
license on all automobiles not uset
for hire. -
The Norfolk delegation Offered
similar bills in the two houses tt
provide for the so per cent cut ir
rate, with the further provision tha,
cities could continue to impose theil
present fee.
Cost $4,000, 900 Annually.
The proposal for a fiat IS fee wa.
introduced by delegates I. N. Cole.
man of Dinwiddie, chairman of thu
House Roads Committee, and C. M
Waldrop of Amelia, and v. c. Smith
of Buchanan.
1t Is estimated adoption Of the
bill would cost the State highway
fund 100000 a year.
Also awaiting action today is 8
far-reaching annexation bill intro
duced yesterday by Delegate Robert
j. McCandlish, Fairfax. The meas.
ure would prohibit the annexation
of any territory by a town or city
until the move has been approved by
qualified voters of the town or city
and the territory proposed for an
nexation, in separate elections. The
measure also would prevent annexa-
ton proceedings during the war
emergency and for one year after
the President proclaims that it is
ended.
The McCandlish bill would amend
Section 1856 of the code to provide
for the special elections. A city or
county, after adopting an ordinance
Of annexation. would call an cleo
ton of its own voters on the pro-
posal.
Would Report to Court.
If they favored the annexation
the municipality would present this
statement of fact and the ordinance
to the Circuit Court having jurisdic-
ton over the territory proposed to
be annexed. The court would call
an election in the territory proposed
for annexation.
If the territory voted against an
nexation the matter would be ended,
and If it favored it the city or town
could institute annexation proceed
ings as prescribed by law.
The measure also provides that if
annexation proceedings should be
voted down. no other referendum on
the question might be held for 10
years.
In event territory in the county
seeks annexation, 81 per cent of the
qualified voters living in it would
have to petition the Circuit Court.
The Court then would give notice to
the city or town and the city and
the county would have the same
rights as when the city or town ini-
tiates the petition.
Sales Tax for Schools.
Meanwhile, interest in the problem
OF increased State aid for the pub
lie schools was accentuated by the
introduction of Senate bill pro-
viding for sales tax Of 3 per cent
to raise school funds and a House
resolution calling for an investiga-
ton Of the present method of teach
er unit distribution Of school funds.
Persistent efforts by members of
the House Appropriations and Sem
ate Finance Committees to get the
views of the Department of Edudca-
ton and the Virginia Education
Association on the need of a sales
tax to finance their school programs
enlivened the opening of public
hearings last night on the biennial
appropriations bill
Dr. Dabney S. Lancaster. superin-
tendent of education, and Francis S.
Chase, executive secretary of the
YEA, qualified their answers, but
neither retreated from the position
that the State should appropriate
81 200 per teacher unit now for the
public school system.
Personally Favor Levy.
Both DR.. Lancaster and Mr.
Chase. when asked for a definite
answer on the question of sales
tax. said they personally favored the
levy. but neither would commit
himself as to the position OF the Or
ganization he represented. The su-
perintendent Of education said he
felt I'VE are bound to come to a
sales tax" while the YEA secre-
tary said he was personally in
clined to favor it under present
conditions.
The joint committee also heard re-
quests for increased appropriations
from 1t. Gen. Charles E. Kilbourne,
superintendent of v. M. l., and John
Hopkins Hall, labor commissioner
Highway Commissioner James A.
Anderson asked for some increases
in salaries in the department, all
to be paid from highway special
funds.
Senator Y Melvin Hodges, South
Hill, who offered the sales tax bill,
estimated it would produce some
SIT 100000 In normal times and
more than $l9,0O0,000 during the
present wartime spending.
Even as the bill was introduced
C.. c. Louderback, chairman of the
House Appropriations Committee
was urging the House members
to follow the recommendation by
Gov. Darden that the sales tax
question be submitted to the people
Senator Hodges had disagreed with
this proposal because, he said, il
would mean a two-year delay in
getting started on the program OF
giving the schools a sound flnan-
cial basis with adequate living SAL
aries for teachers"
The resolution calling for a study
OF the teacher unit system was
referred to the House Rules Com
mittee. Delegate Floyd Daughtrey
Emporia, one of the sponsors, said
the system now in use is understood
by only few legislators and "in
some instances 1t appears to be