Evening star., 1944-02-09
House Begins
Consideration Of New
25-Mi|Iion Budget
Bill Exceeds Estimated
Amount Available for
Spending by $345,000
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Feb. 9.-Virginia's
rd-breaking $235 ,000, 900 budget
bill, exceeding by $345,OOO the esti-
mated amount available for appro-
priation, was before the House of
Delegates today for initial considera-
ton on the floor.
The important measure was set as
a special and continuing order of
business. Chairman C. C. Louder
back of the House Appropriations
Committee, which reported the bill
Friday, expressed the hope that the
House will finish action on the
measure this week. It reached the
House floor almost two weeks earlier
than usual.
Few Major Budget Changes.
The committee made compare
lively few major changes in budget
recommendations submitted by Gov
Darden.
Revisions, giving increases in many
instances, have not unbalanced seri-
ously the Governors budget, Chair
man Louderback said.
The largest single item added by
the committee was $29O,00O for
Catawba Sanatorium, for building
and equipment.
A statutory limit of one gallon of
liquor per month per customer at
the States retail stores is provided
for in a bill which Delegate Stuart
Campbell, Wythe County, said he
was planning to introduce in the
House.
Mr.. Campbell said the "funda-
mental responsibility for control"
OF hard liquor sales rests with the
General Assembly and that the
State Liquor Board has not at
tempted the control of such sales
except insofar as this has been
necessitated by the current liquor
shortage"
Senate Passes Nine Bills.
The Wythe County Delegate said
he believes the time has now come
when some attention should be
given to the control or regulation
of liquor sales"
The Senate passed nine bills for
the most part of minor nature.
and postponed second reading on
the Harris-Battle Senate bill pro-
viding for higher interest rates on
small loans after an amendment
was offered from the floor to make
the charge a fat two per cent a
month.
The bill in its present form calls
for a 3 per cent charge on un-
paid balances of $3.50 or less and
2 per cent on unpaid balances
exceeding $3.50 and up to the maxi
mum of $500 allowed as small loan.
The House passed eight bills. in
Guiding the Clarke Senate bill to
raise the compulsory school attend
ance age from Is to l6 years. the
Stuart Breeden-Gray Senate bill to
name the Virginia Protective Force
the Virginia State Guard, and the
Spiers House bill removing the CELL
ing OF $18 per month for a first
child and $12 month for a second
in aid to dependent children.
Sales Tax Hearing Monday.
The Senate Finance Committee
set a public hearing for 8 pm. Mon
day on the Hodges sales tax bill
after Senator Y. Melvin Hodges,
South Hill, made the request. The
measure provides for a per cent
sales tax for school purposes and
for the relief of taxes on real estate
and tangible personal property.
Just before the Finance Com
mittee action, Charles w. Crush
Christiansburg. secretady of the
League Of Virginia Counties, an
nounced that 80 per cent of county
officials who have answered a poll
conducted by the league have ex-
pressed favor of enactment of "a
sales tax now"
Mr.. Crush said that OF the 300
who have thus far responded to the
poll question 20 have expressed
opposition to sales tax, while
we'll over 60 per cent of those IA
voring sales tax are opposed to
the Governors proposal for a refer
endum on the question.