Evening star., 1946-02-06
Assembly Asked
ToChange Base
Of School Funds
20 Virginia Counties,
Cities Face Cut If
Attendance Is Used
BY ALEX r. PRESTON
Star Staff Correspondent.

RICHMOND, Va, Feb. GA new
formula for distribution of State
school funds to localities based on
the average daily attendance in
stead of by teacher units, was be-
fore the General Assembly here to-
day.
At the same time a group of legis-
lators from some of the 20 counties
and 7 cities that would suffer a
revenue reduction next year under
the proposed system, are working
on a plan whereby their localities
would sustain not more than 20 per
cent of the losses.
A bill implementing the Depart
ment of Education's average daily
attendance formula was introduced
yesterday by Delegates. John B.
Spiers, Radford, and c. c. Louder
back, Warren and Page.
Road-tax Bills Offered
Also before both Houses of the
General Assembly today are identi-
cal bills to carry out Gov. Tuck's
program to revise the road tax
structure designed to increase high
way revenues by about $500, 900
during the next biennium.
In addition to levying an addi-
tional one cent gallon increase in
the gasoline tax, the measure re-
Scinds the existing two per cent
gross receipts tax on common and
contract truckers, but does not re-
peal this tax on passenger carriers.
Tho measure, however, would not
repeal the gross receipts tax until
March Is, 1947, on which date the
prices of license tags for common
carriers would be raised two and a
half times and on contract carriers
by so per cent. The District of Co.
lumbia, Maryland and several other
Eastern States recently ssent rep
resentatives to conference in
Washington, and threatened retalia-
tory measures against this State if |
the gross receipts levy is not re-
pealed.
Seeks License Tax Cut.
Another of the Governors rec
ommendationS-to reduce the prices
of private automobile licenses by
20 per cent-also is Incorporated in
the measure. There is no effective
date clause specified for this sec
ton, so it presumably would become
operative 80 days after adjourn
ment of the Assembly. The gasoline
tax increase would become effective
July l.
Delegate Z. Blackburn Moore,
Winchester and Clarke, and Senator
John S. Battle, Charlottesville, were
chief patrons of the road tax bills
In the House and Senate.
The House passed and sent to
the Governor bill by Senators Ben
Jamin T. Pitts, Fredericksburg, and
William D. Medley, Arlington, that
would give veterans of both World
Wars who make passing grades for
State jobs filled by the Merit Sys-
tenn Council, bonus of points or.
in cases of those wounded, 10 points.
Gives State Preferences.
The bill gives preference for Jobs
with the Unemployment Compensa-
tion Commission, State and local
boards of public welfare, State
boards of health and State Commits
sion for the blind, but would also
apply to any other agency which sub
sequently' comes under the Merit |
System Council.
Also passed and sent to the Sen
ate was a bill by Delegate William
r. Shaffer, Shenandoah, to increase
the maximum salary of superin-
tendents of the poor in heavily pop
ulated counties from $3.50 to $1,000
annually. He explained that his
county's almshouse had been oper-
ated at slight profit" during the
past year, justifying an increase for
the administrator
A bill by Senator Andrew w.
Clarke, Alexandria, Fairfax and
Prince William, to divorce the posi-
tions of director of the budget and
personnel director, both now held
by j. H. Bradford, was referred
to the State Finance Committee on
motion of Senator Battle, who said
the measure affects the financial
structure of the State"
Clarke Bills Sent Along.
The Senate passed and sent to the
House Senator Clarke's bill to au-
thorize school boards to issue nego-
table warrants signed by local
treasurers so as to permit payments
between board meetings.
The Senate Finance Committee
reported Senator Clarke's bill auths
orizing the Alexandria City Council
to establish retirement and death |
benefit system for city employees.
New measures introduced on the
House side included a bill by Dele
gates James E. Gardner, Richmond,
and Norman c. Bailey, Orange, to
require the State agencies or any of
the political subdivisions to give
Virginia individuals or firms per
cent preference in considering bids |
for performance of services or sup
ply of commodities of materials. |
Individuals, firms, associations, |
corporations or partnerships in Vir-
ginia, or that are organized under
Virginia laws or have their main
office and principal places of busi-
ness In this State, would benefit in
low bids as if their proposals were
per cent less than the amounts
submitted.
In the upper house, Senator Med
led introduced bill to repeal an ex-
isting requirement that court clerks
must continue to issue processes in
civil suits until service is obtained.
Such automatic resistance would
be done only on request of the
plaintiff.
Would Revise Planning Boards.
He Joined Senator William N.
Nef, Abingdon, as patron of two
other measures which revise the
make up of the State Planning
Board so as to provide that six of
its IL members will be citizens in
stead Of all being heads of State
agencies or departments. The Sec
ond measure revises local planning
. boards so as to permit from five to
Is members and would permit one
member being selected from the
local governing body.