Evening star., 1946-03-06
Charter Bill
For Arlington
Nears Passage
Senate Committee
Approves Plan After
Minor Amendments
By Alex R. Preston
Ssor StoH correspondsnt

Assembly.
The measure carries an amend
ment designed to safeguard tn
rights Of any candidate who ma
succeed an incumbent member q
the County Board when a change /
made.
Favorable action on the bill
sponsored by Delegates j. Maynar,
Magruder and George Damn, botl
OF Arlington, was taken by the Sen
ate Committee on County, City an,
Town Organization.
The Assembly yesterday dispose,
OF a heavy schedule of business in a,
effort to clear the legislative calen
OAR IN time for the appearance O
Winston Churchill during the fina
session Friday.
Suffrage Bills Approved.
Action yesterday included:
Passage by the Senate of fiv,
companion bills carrying out elec.
tloa law revisions proposed by tn,
Campbell Suffrage Commission.
Senate passage of the anti-pollu.
ton bill sponsored by delegates E
Blackburn Moore, Winchester ane
Clarke, and Norman C. Bailey
Orange.
Defeat of two bills by Delegate
Willis E. Cohoon, Suffolk, designed
to impose sales tax on aviation
1uel sold in Virginia, and a use ia,
on such fuel consumed in flights
over Virginia regardless of where
the gasoline is purchased.
The only one of several amend.
mekts to the Arlington charter
bill approved by the committee has
any major effect on a change over
to the city form of government.
= Could Win, Then Lose.
The committee sought to correct
situation called to the attention
OF the Assembly by H. H. Howe
candidate for the County Board fol
the Office now held by Edmund C
Campbell. Under the plan a.
originally submitted, Mr.. Howe
pointed out he could win in tn,
November election, but if voters
decide to become a city as of Janu-
ary /, 1947, his opponent-if it were
Mr.. Campbell-would be carried ovel
as member of the City Council.
The committee amended the ACT
30 as to have the plan become
operative on the second" day OF
the year following the referendum
instead Of the first day. Mr.. Howe
or any successful candidate could
thus take oath of Office on January
/ as a member of the County Board
and automatically be carried over
as q member of the City Council on
the following day.
The Senate still has before it the
$319 ,000, 900 budget bill. In line
for immediate debate and action
this afternoon are the following
two measures:
Gov. Tuck's omnibus road tax bill
to increase the highway gasoline tax
by cent gallon and to repeal
the 2 per cent gross receipts tax
on truckers, among other changes
Antistrike Bill Ahead.
The bill of Delegates Frank p
Moncure, Stafford and Prince Will
liam, and B. G. Locher, Rockbridge
to blacklist public employees who
strike against State, municipal OF
county governments. Originally de.
signed to prevent the rehiriing o1
such strikers for all time, substi-
tute bill was approved by the House
placing limitation on this period
at five years. The Senate Genera
Laws Committee has since reduced
this period to IL months, during
which na striking employe can again
enter public service.
Other action of significance tc
Northern Virginia includes favor
able reports by the Senate Privileges
and Elections Committee of the fol-
lowing:
Bill of Delegate w. Selden Wash
ington, Alexandria, authorizing the
list Of qualified voters to be main
tanned on index cards instead OF
permanent record books, so as to
meet a problem of transitory popu-
lation.
Damm-Magruder bill providing a
referendum on the returning to the
simultaneous method of electing
members of the Arlington County
Board to replace the existing stagger
system.
Bill of Delegate Edwin w. Lynch,
Fairfax, authorizing a per diem in
crease of IS to 81 for members OF
the electoral board.
Falls Church Charter Approved.
The Senate County, City and
Town Committee, in addition to the
Arlington charter measure, also ap-
proved the following:
Lynch bill providing a new charter
for Falls Church.
Bill of Delegate william j. Glib
son, Fredericksburg, amending a
section Of his city's charter so as to
consolidate the Police Court with
Juvenile and Domestic Relations
Court.
Lynch bill authorizing Fairfax
Board Of Supervisors to enact ordi-
nances requiring the recordation OF
subdivision plats and to regulate
development of such projects.
Moore bill providing a new charter
for Middletown, Frederick County
Senator William D. Medley, Ar
lington, a member of the Campbell
Suffrage Commission, continued to
steer the election law revisions
through the upper house. A joint
resolution which, If again passed by
the General Assembly in 1948 will
call for referendum on changes to
the Constitution, was passed by the
Senate Monday. :
Would Abolish Poll Tax.
The five companion bills approved
yesterday implement the contem-
plated election revisions being sought
by constitutional amendment which
among other things, would abolish
the poll tax as a prerequisite to
voting.
Senator Lloyd M. Robinette, Lee
won an Endorsement of his change
to the bill which would have es-
tablished 6 am. to 6 pm. as a uni
form voting for all elections. His
proposal Is to set the time at $50
am. to $50 nm. for all elections