Evening star., 1944-02-13

OF Legislature
Appears Likely
Appropriation Bill
Slated for Senate
Action This Week
BY the Associated Press.

HStIOU IUIS week
BY the Associated Press
RICHMOND, Feb. 12-The House
of Delegates, by its speedy action
on the general appropriation bill
and its staunch backing of Gov.
Darden's school program, charted
q course this week which may lead
to adjournment Of the 1914 session
in less than the customary go days.
1t. Gov. William NJ Tuck, who
has kept the Senate machinery
going at top speed, said today it
would be "at least week early
maybe more" The 6o-day period
would end March II.
The $235 900 900 appropriation bill
will come before the Senate Finance
Committee next week.
Advocates of larger State ap-
for public schools than
the Governors House-approved $500
per year per teacher unit have asked
the committee for a hearing We'd
nesday night. Francis S. Chase,
executive secretary of the Virginia
Education Association, teachers Or
ganization. said today he was still
hopeful the Senate might raise the
amount. Some Senate advocates of
a larger appropriation said, how
ever, they doubted that it would do
so in view of the House action.
Sales Tax Fading.
The sales tax question faded from
the list Of controversial matters
when Senator Y. M. Hodges with
drew his 2 per cent bill, and left
little legislation likely to slow down
materially the wheels of the legis-
lative machinery.
There are many bills involving
hotly contested issues, but most of
them which emerge from commit
tees will be passed or killed with an
hour or less of debate. In this cate
CORY are the hearing arts" bills for
licensing of chiropractors and natu-
ropaths; bills providing for in
spectlon and regulation of boilers;
bills to amend the annexation laws;
bills providing new distribution
OF the State liquor profits; bills to
control and abate pollution in
streams, and efforts to eliminate the
poll tax as a prerequisite to voting.
While the probability of the State
increasing its school appropriation
fell after House passage of the ap-
preparation bill, there were very
definite indications that the coun-
ties and cities will be given addi-
tional funds with which to raise
teacher salaries if they so desire.
Liquor Tax Action Due.
The Senate probably will receive
next week the Daughtrey House bill
reducing the States initial take"
OF the liquor profits from s2,5o0 900
to $3.50 900. which will give localities
81 ,666, 900 in additional revenue per
year. The bill has been reported
once by the Finance Committee but
was called back to consider some
amendments offered on the Senate
hoor. Chairman Aubrey Weaver
Isa1d this was not hostile move.
Localities also may get important
revenue from the Coburn bill, intro
duced with number of administra- =
tion leaders as copatrons, to give
localities half of any surplus in the
general fund of the Treasury at the
end Of the biennium.
1t was reported today that the
Virginia Education Association, while
still contending for $1,2oO-per-
teacher unit as advocated by the
Department Of Education, would
prefer Gov. Darden's original rec
omnendation to the school appropri-
alton as it passed the House. Gov.
Darden recommended s840-per-
teacher unit for the first year of the
biennium and $3.50 the second year.
The House, without objection from
the governor, made it 5000 each year.
The total is the same The House
version gives greater increase the
first year while the governors pro-
posal would leave the teacher ap-
preparation on higher plane at the
end of the two-year period.
May Vote Study.
The withdrawal of the Hodges
sales tax bill, because, the sponsor
said, he was certain that it could
not pass the house, turned attention
on the Spiers resolution to refer the
question of the advisability of a
sales tax to the Legislative Advisory
Council for study.
The Senate passed and sent to
Gov. Darden today the administra-
tion bill to convert Mary Washing
ton College at Fredericksburg into
liberal arts college as a part of
the University of Virginia.
At the same time Senator w. N.
Neff, Washington. withdrew his res
olution for a Legislative Advisory
Council study of the advisability
of unifying the University of Vir-
ginia and Virginia Polytechnic In
stitute under a single governing
board.
BY vote of 81 to 6, the Senate
passed without discussion the Muse
Norris Weaver Breeder bill to au-
thorize the Supreme Court of Ap-
peals to lay down rules for civil
practice in Virginia and to name
q committee to assist in drafting
such rules.
The Senate was in session for less
than an hour. 1t passed also the
Medley bill permitting the State
Conservation Commission to return
to Arlington County q acres of land
In the Glen Carlyn sector adjoining
Lubber Run Park, the land to be
used for park purposes.
Alexandra Red Cross