Evening star., 1946-02-28
Action Likely
On Arlington S
Charter Today
Hearing Scheduled
On Falls Church Bill
For Incorporation
By Alex R. Preston
Sser SioH Correspondent

House Committee on Counties
Cities and Towns.
The same legislative study grour
OF the General Assembly has sci
aside time to hear any one inter.
eSted on two bills of Delegate Edwin
w. Lynch, Fairfax, to provide a new
charter for the town of Fall.
Church and to authorize the Fair.
fax Board of Supervisors to adop
ordinances requiring the recording
of plats and governing the develop
and subdivisions.
The Arlington charter measure il
sponsored by J. Maynard Magrude,
and George Damn A subcommit.
tee has been reviewing statements
and amendments submitted at g
public hearing last week.
Both branches of the Assembly
this week will clear calendars o.
measures originating in their re.
spective houses. since none but it,
own revenue and local bills may bt
acted on after Saturday.
Gas Tax Bill Passed.
The path for quick action in the
House has been cleared by passage
yesterday of one of the most contro-
versial bills.
BY a recorded vote of SO to 81
the lower branch sent to the Senate
Gov. Tuck's omnibus bill providing
revisions of the road tax structure
1t passed in substantially the same
, torn as submitted. Last-minute
amendments are designed to protect
Arlington and two other counties in
the participation of secondary road
funds and to earmark all of the
additional anticipated revenue, set
at $3,800,000 for secondary roads.
in addition to $12,500, 900 already set
aside for this purpose.
The program calls for a 1-cent-
a-gallon increase in gasoline taxes
this spring; reduction by 20 per cent
in private buses in 1947; a repeal OF
2 per cent gross receipts tax on COM
mon and contract carriers of freight,
but not for buses; an increase OF
$50 per cent in the license fee for
common freight carriers and an in
crease of so per cent in the fee for
contract freight carriers.
Measure Touches OF Debate.
The legislation touched off one of
the longest debates, with seven hours
devoted to oratory during the previ-
GUS two days. Opponents saw the
Handwriting on the WALL Tuesday
when, by vote of A to SIS, an
amendment to continue the gross
receipts tax was rejected.
Another controversial measure, the
bill of Delegates Frank P. Moncure,
Prince William and Stafford, and
B. G. Locher, Rockbridge, to black
list for five years any employe who
strikes against the State, county or
municipal governments, was killed
yesterday by the Senate General
Laws Committee.
Action came after a near-fracas
involving Delegate E. Blackburn
Moore. The Winchester Delegate
had just delivered speech support
ing the bill and made an attack
against labor's irresponsible ma
tional leadership" Because his road
tax bill was to be called on the floor
momentarily, he excused himself
and went upstairs to the House floor.
After he departed, Horace w.
Sharpe, Legislative Committee chair
man of the Virginia Federation of
Labor, asserted Mr.. Moore had made
"a stab in the back" at labor.
only coward could say such
things and then walk out" Mr..
Sharpe said.
Senators Demand RetractiOn.
Immediately Senators A. E. S.
Stephens, Isle of Wight, and Harry
Stuart Russell took exception to Mr..
Sharpe's statement, the latter sug-
gesting that the remarks be, with
drawn. They were joined by Sen
ators w. S. Moffett, Staunton, and
w. N. Neff, Abingdon, in demands
for a retraction. A page was dis
patched for Mr.. Moore, who, by that
time, was preparing the final effort
to steer the Governors tax program
through the House.
When Mr.. Moore returned, Mr.
Sharpe repeated his statement and
added that since his national leaders
had been attacked, he had lost his
temper.
The labor leader retracted the
statement when Senator Neff made
a motion, seconded by Senator
Stuart, that Mr.. Sharpe either with
draw his remarks or be asked to
leave the committee room.
School Bill Passes.
The Senate passed the Stephens
bill providing for flve-member
school boards, selected at large, and
prohibiting members from serving
more than two consecutive terms
An amendment by Senator A. J..
CARRIER, Harrisonburg, was rejected.
1t would have provided for a refer
endum, when called by 10 per cent
of the voters, on the question of
whether boards would be appointed
by local governing bodies or by
trustee electoral boards.
The Harrisonburg Republican as
serted committee amendments to
the legislation have resulted in only
minor changes from existing law
He said there were less than 10
members on school boards in Vir-
ginia who were not members of the
majority party.
Senator Stephens declared Sena-
tor Garber's proposals were not con-
sistent with the Denny Commission
report, which is embodied in sew
eral Stephens bills.
List of House Measures.
Among measures passed by the
House were the following:
McCue-Magruder bill making it a
mlsdemeanor for tuberculous per-
sons to fail to heed medical advice
against spreading the disease.
Davis-Damm bill increasing by
$500 the brackets for all Common
wealth attorneys. county and city
treasurers and commissioners of
revenue, in which the State Com
pensation Board may allow salaries.
Washington bill authorizing card
index registration of voters in Ar
lington to replace the permanent
record books.