Evening star., 1944-02-04
RiseProposed
In Virginia Tax
On Light Wines
House Committee
Studies Demand for
Liquor Profits Doto
By the Associated Press,

RICHMOND, Va, Feb. 4.-Taxes
and State liquor profits continued to
figure prominently in State lesis-
lative discussions today as Senators
Harry c. Stuart and M. M. Long
prepared to offer a bill to put an
overall tax Of 30 cents a gallon on
light wine and a Senate resolution
calling for information on distribu-
ton OF liquor profits awaited House
committee action.
A bill to place a 10 per cent tax
on light wines. offered by DELEGATE
Robert Whitehead, Nelson, is now
pending in the House. DELEGATE
Whitehead estimated that his meas
ure would raise approximately ST..
100000 year.
On the basis of figures furnished
delegate Whitehead by the State
Liquor Board. it was estimated the
bill proposed by Senators Stuart and
Long would produce $l,135,519 an
nually.
The State at present has a tax
OF Is cents gallon on domestic
light wines produced outside of Vir.
ginia and 10 cents a gallon on Vir.
ginia wines.
Tax Would Be Hidden.
Senator Stuart said it was pro.
posed to have the tax levied on tho
sale OF the light wines from whole.
salers to retailers. The tax then
would be hidden for the ultimate
consumer in an increase of price.
he explained.
The Senate joint resolution calling
Tor figures by the State controller
is designed to obtain information
on the amount Of ABC money re-
celved by the localities in the last
nscal year and to obtain an esti.
mate OF the amount they could ex-
pect conditionally in the future.
The House yesterday passed the
Daugherty bill to give the State the
flrst $750,000 of liquor profits and
TO divide the remainder. one-third
to the State and two-thirds to the
localities. Under the present sys-
tenn, the State gets the initial
$4,000 900.
Arlington Fairfax Bill Passed.
The House also passed the Nc.
Candlish real estate reassessment
DILL with an amendment which
would postpone land reassessments
IN Arlington County until l946, Re-
assessments then would be held
every four years thereafter.
Under provisions of the original
Dill, land reassessments in Fairfax
county would have been made not
o1tener than every four years and
at intervals Of no longer than 10
years, at the discretion of the Board
OF Supervisors.
In sharp contrast to the efforts to
4 reallocate the State liquor funds, the
accumulated monies and revenue of
the State Highway Department ap-
peared safeguarded by action of the
General Assembly in going on record
in opposition to diversion of high
way funds, and the action of the
House Finance Committee in killing
two bills to lower the rate for auto
mobile license fees.
Gas Tax Boost Killed.
These bills were the Coleman
measure to provide a fiat SIS fee for
passenger automobiles and the Nor
folk delegation bill to reduce the fee
rate from 40 cents a 100 pounds to
20 cents. The Baldwin bill, designed
as a companion measure to the
Norfolk delegation bill and provid-
ing for an increase from to 6 cents
gallon in the tax on gasoline, also
was killed by the committee.
Also failing to receive a favorable
committee report yesterday was the
Witten resolution calling for a sin
gle basic list of textbooks for school
puse during the war and for cheaper
and fewer library books. The resolu-
ton was killed by the House Com
mittee on Schools and Colleges.
The Senate Finance Subcommit-
tee named to hear requests from
State Department heads on in
creases in pay for State workers ar
ranged to hold its initial session to-
day at 2 pm.
The Senate Courts of Justice
Committee yesterday killed, 8 to S,
the Breeden bill to allow women to
serve on juries in Virginia. The
actiona followed the appearance Of
numerous representatives of wom-
ems clubs at hearing Wednesday.
A member of the committee said
the vote killing the bill for at least
another two years came after dis
agreement over exemptions for
women.