Evening star., 1947-01-06
Requests Start
Al Richmond
For Local Bills
Assembly Session
Begins; Wide Scope
Is Indicted
BY Alex R. Preston
Stur Stuff Corresponden.


RICHMOND, Va, Jan. 6.-As q
special session of the General As
sembly gets under way today, rep
resentatives of Northern Virginia
are arriving with numerous requests
for local legislation they will intro
duce providing the session is not
limited to Gov. Tuck's proposals to
increase the pay Of school teachers
and prevent strikes In public
utilities.
The extra session probably will
run longer than week, even II. leg
islation proposed by the Governor
is all that is permitted to come up,
according to most Assembly mem
bers.
Gov. Tuck has called the extra
session to do two things:
To authorize the spending of more
State funds to increase public school
teacher salaries.
4 To prohibit strikes or similar in
references with the operations OF
public utilities and abolish the
closed shop In Virginia businesses.
Backs Pay Increases.
One of the strongest supporters
of the proposed labor legislation is
Delegate Frank p. Moncure of
Stafford and Prince William Coun-
ties. He was the author of contro-
versial antistrike legislation at the
last regular session which would
blacklist" any one who strikes
against an agency of the State gov
ernment or any of its counties or
cities. Also, he said, he is 1000
per cent" behind teacher pay raises.
Delegate L. Lake Triplett OF Fau-
quier County, who at the last ses-
sion introduced a bill to make it
unlawful to work." indorsed the
Governors labor proposals today.
Il only hope his program is
strong enough" Mr.. Triplett said.
He added he would like to see the
teachers receive more salaries with
out an added tax burden.
Chairman John S. Battle, Char
lottesyille, of the Senate Finance
Committee and Chairman C. C.
Louderback, Warren and Page
Counties, of the House Appropria-
tions Committee, have been con-
ferring with Gov. Tuck over meth
ods of financing the teachers pay
program.
Arlington Delegates Confer.
Inspiration for Mr.. Tuck's labor
proposals stems from a threatened
strike last spring by Virginia Elec-
trio g. Power Co. employees which
would have crippled most of the
State. At that time the Governor
drafted" the prospective strikers
into the State Guard and made
them subject to Executive orders.
Arlington's delegation, comprising
Senator William D. Medley, Dele
gates J. Maynard Magruder and
George Damn, conferred last night
over several local measures and two
State wide proposals they plan to
introduce if the rules allow.
They had agreed on the aims of a
proposed joint resolution directing
the Advisory Legislative Council to
continue its studies of the public
school system with a view to max
ing 1t the States responsibility to
furnish two additional years of edu-
cation.
Such q program would either
carry high schol graduates through
Junior college, give them vocational
training or prepare them for later
teaching career at some normal in
stitution.
Hospital Inspection Up.
The plan was outlined nearly
three years ago when Mr. Magruder
and Senator Medley spoke at the
Charles A. Stewart Parent Teacher
Association in East Falls Church.
Another Statewide measure would
require more rigid inspection and
licensing of all hospitals to qualify
for participation in Federal-aid
programs. The legislators said $2,-
500 900 already has been earmarked
for Virginia and could be made
available by the program.
Unless local bills are prohibited
under rules adopted today, Arling-
ton legislators will confer with c. M.
Chichester, head of the division of
statutory research and drafting, on
the preparation of several local
measures.
One that presents particular prob
lenls-legaIy and politically, as far
as the rest of the State is involved
is the proposal to elect members Of
the County Board on a nonpartisan
basis.
Stagger System.
They also plan to amend law
passed at the last session to give
voters another chance to eliminate
the existing stagger system of elect
ing members of the County Board.
The present law requires that the
referendum on the question be held
in 1916. An effort was made by
Mrs. Beulah Goss of the Arlington
Civic Federation to present a petit
tion calling for the referendum in
1916 but Judge Walter T. Mccarthy
of the Circuit Court held it was not
filed properly.
The question of whether the pres
sent method of selecting members of
the Arlington School Board shall be
changed also will be taken up dur
ing the session If such matters are
considered.
The Arlington delegation agrees
that the existing Retirement Act for
employees under the administration
of the county manager should be
extended to include employees under
elected officers. The proposal would
bring into the retirement system
employees of the treasurer, COM
.monwealth's attorney. court clerk.
commissioner of revenue and sheriff.