Evening star., 1947-12-26
Virginia Council
ToCut IFS Work
Consolidation Urged
On Studies Referred
To 1t by Legislators
BY the Assoeiofed Press

BY the Asseeioied Press
RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 26.-The
Virginia Advisory Legislative Coun-
Gil said today it believes "The tims
has come for consideration of re-
ducing, consolidating and co-ordi-
mating studies directed to be made
by it as well as legislative commits
sions."
The VALC's statement was
touched off by study referred to it
bv the 1916 General Assembly on
the advisability of establishing lime
grinding plants in New Kent County
and Culpeper County for the bene-
fit Of the public.
In its report today to the Gov
ernor and the General Assembly,
the Council quickly disposed of the
lime grinding situation. It said
that from information available
there are not sufficient lime deposits
in New Kent to warrant establish
ment of State lime-grinding plant
there. Efforts to find the extent
Of lime deposits in Culpeper County
were fruitless.
Cites Department Facilities.
This brought the Council to the
conclusion that the Department Of
"Conservation" and the Depart
ment of Agriculture" had facilities
to gather such information which
the legislative body did not have
and it added pointedly:
"The Council unanimously rec
ommends that hereafter it be not
called upon to study matters which
are more properly within the func-
tions of established State agencies.
For instance the Council has
been able to find no reasons why the
two departments named above could
not, had the legislative directive
been addressed to them, have ascer-
tained, through the services of their
present personnel, and supplied the
information desired.
There can be no benefit to the
public generally or to the farmers
in the counties referred to for the
Council to undertake geological ex-
plorations in these areas.
1T is the recommendation of the
Council, therefore, that resolutions
such as the one directing this study
be directed to the departments of
state government affected. The
matter Is purely one of fact and
not of policy"
The report then passed to a dis.
cussion of "co-ordination of legis-
lative interim reports" The Coun-
Gil said that to the best of it's ability
1t has tried to make a thorough
study of every matter assigned it
and pointed out that during the
present biennium it has completed
about 20 studies.
Council Limited.
The membership of the VALC is
composed of four members of the
State Senate and five of the House,
the report explained, and said there
Is limit to what the Council can do.
1t called the attention of the
General Assembly to the frequency
with which overlapping OF. duplicate
studies have been requested" and
suggested that careful considera-
ton should be given to requests for
continuing studies"
The Council said it felt that the
following factors should be weighed
before any study is directed
l. The time required of members
of the public and the members of
the General Assembly serving upon
study committees is frequently so
great as to work hardship upon
them.
2. That a large number of re-
ports may only serve to confuse the
issues before the General Assembly.
3. The expense involved.
4. Studies directed to be made
upon very narrow aspects of all
overall problem tend frequently to
unduly emphasize some phases of q
situation without adequate empha-
sis on the other factors involved.
5. Whether, except as to matters
of policy or matters of pressing
public interest, the information
sought cannot be as well obtained
from existing agencies and by ordi-
nary methods.
Must Reconsider Tasks.
I'm view of the foregoing, the
Council submits that the time has
come for consideration of reducing,
consolidating, and co-ordinating
studies directed to be made by it
as we'll as legislative commissions"
the report added.
The Council also suggested that
patrons of study resolutions make
fuller use" of the facilities of the
State departments and agencies
which are able to supply needed in
formation first hand, but said there
is another class of study which
should be handled in another way.
1t recommended that each house
of the General Assembly designate
committee to which all resolutions,
introduced at any session directing
a study to be made, be deferred.
"The Council is of the opinion
that the committee will not be likely
to abuse their prerogatives since the
rules of the House and the Senate
permit the discharge of committee
in proper cases." the report stated.
In closing, the Council explained
that it was in no way intending to
limit the prerogatives of members
OF the General Assembly or to dis
parage the work of any legislative
interim commission.
"The recommendations of tho
Council are directed only to i'm
proving means for the achievement
OF these objectives," said the report.
Delegate E. o. McCue, jr., of Char
lottesville, is chairman of the VALC.
D. {. Man Files Application
For Charles County Airport
The Maryland State Aviation
Commission disclosed today that a
Washington businessman has filed
application for permission to estab-
,et.