Evening star., 1944-01-26
Clarke Pushes
Assembly Probe
OF Merit Plan
Would Have Report
Of 7-Mon Group at
Next Session
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Jan. 26.-An inves-
tigation of the State merit system
appeared likely today as a result Of
the announced plans of Senator An
drew Clarke, Alexandria, to intro
duce a resolution providing for a
seven-man commission to make such
a study and report to the next Vir-
ginia General Assembly.
Senator Clarke said he expected
to ask for a commission of three
members from the House, two from
the Senate and two from the origi-
nal commission which drew up plans
for the merit system.
The commission, he said, would be
empowered to conduct hearings and
would make its report 60 days before
the 1s46 session.
The personnel act was passed at
the last session. 1t provides that
the Governor shall head the system
and that he appoint the administra-
tor. He chose ]. H. Bradford, budget
director, to fill the post.
The Senate Roads Committee YES
terday heard State Highway Com
missioner James A. Anderson de-
scribe highway work in Virginia
as squeezed" between an in.
crease in costs and lack of man
power on the one hand and a
shrinkage in funds on the other.
The highway commission. he said
is on record as strongly opposed to
diversion Of highway funds.
Study School Attendance Bill.
The Senate Committee on Public
institutions and Education con-
tinued study of a bill to raise the
required school attendance age from
Is to 16 years and to provide funds
for the Stricter enforcement Of
school attendance laws.
A subcommittee of the House Com.
mlttee on Schools and Colleges was
given the task of studying a bill to
combine Martha Washington COL
lege at Fredericksburg with the Uni
versity of Virginia at Charlottesville
and to provide for four woman men,
bers on the Board of Visitors of the
university. The subcommittee was
directed to report back Tuesday.
The committee reported out a bill
to allow school boards to pay mem
bers a fiat sum of s180 annually
and travel expenses instead of fees
OF SIS meeting for the 20 annual
meetings now provided by law.
A move to give localities, rather
than the State, the greater share in
liquor profits was started with the
introduction of a House bill by
Delegate Floyd Daughtrey, Emporia,
TO divide the earnings on the basis
OF one-third to the State and two
thirds to the localities.
Under the present system the
State receives initial earnings of
81 SOC, 900. The remainder is split,
with one-third going to the State
and two-thirds to the localities.
The States thus gets the greater
snare unless profits climb beyond
the $4,000, 900 level.
Profits rose to that level for the
first time last year. The localities
then received a per capita distri-
button of $202. Prospects this year
are that the localities will receive
less than 81 under the present dis
tribution system. Compared with
this, the Daughtrey plan would give
distribution of about s1.5O per
capita.
Senate Gets Small-Loan Bill.
The Senate meanwhile received a
bill carrying out recommendation
OF the Legislative Advisory Council
for an increase in interest rates on
small loans, and bill following the
suggestion of Gov. Darden for a
State institute of psychiatry.
The small loan bill, introduced by
Senators Robert o. Norris, jr., and
John S. Battle, provides for an in
crease from 2 to 3 per cent in the
rate on unpaid balances of less than
$3.50 and continues the 2 per cent
rate on amounts exceeding $3.50 and
up to the legal small-loan limit of
$500. The split rate is designed to
encourage the offering of smaller
loans, one phase of the business
which is said to have decreased
sharply since rates were reduced at
the last session from 31a per cent
to the present per cent a month.
Companies were said to have found
the smaller loans improbable.
The measure also provides for
stricter regulations of the business
through the State Corporation Com
mission and more adequate means