Evening star., 1948-08-20
Tuck Remains
Noncon1mittal
On Sales Tax
Fairfax Delegation
Asks Levy to Meet
School Building Need

SCnoOI butlQlnq NeeOS
Gov. Tuck of Virginia today re-
manned noncommittal on the pleas
of a Fairfax County delegation for
sales tax which would aid that
county in meeting school construc-
ton needs estimated at $7,500,000.
The chief executive received first
hand accounts of the Fairfax Coun-
ty problems when the delegation
called on him at Richmond yester-
day and supported demands that
have been made from other sections
OF the State for him to call spe-
cial session of the General Assembly
to impose the sales levy throughout
Virginia.
The delegation, led by State Sem
ator Andrew w. Clarke, was given
sympathetic attention by the Gov
ernor, who. nevertheless, made it
clear that the State should not be
stampeded into action.
It was recalled that at this years
session of the Assembly, Gov. Tuck
sponsored a tax increase program
and labeled a sales tax as levy to
be imposed only 'as a last resort"
Reaffirms Stand.
Gov Tuck reaffirmed an express
sion he made earlier in the day at
the organization meeting of the
Commission on State and Local
Revenues and Expenditures. Ac-
cording to the Associated Press, Gov.
Tuck called attention of the ccm-
mission to the fact that special
sessions of the Legislature should be
called only to meet extraordinary
situations which cannot await a
regular session"
After he had heard the 13 persons
from Fairfax County who left with
him petition signed by 1,400 per-
sons, Gov. Tuck received a sugges-
ton from c. B. Green, school super
intendent of Mecklenburg County,
that a Statewide referendum on a
sales tax be authorized by special
session of the Legislature.
The fairfax delegation represent
ing School Emergency Committee
told the Governor that in some
places children had to be taught in
QuonSet hutS and in auditoriums
partitioned off to make classrooms.
Quonset huts were in use in Falls
Church last year and will be used
elsewhere this fall.
Senator Clarke said, THE needs
are not exaggerated. Some of
the buildings are fire traps. y We
are in desperate need of money"
Population Gains Noted.
Some of their troubles, they said,
were brought about by sharp gains
in population, which caused larger
school enrolment than could be met
with present facilities.
Spokesmen for the group told the
Governor the county had tried to
handle the matter locally, but that
a bond issue had been defeated once
and there was good reason to believe
that another try also would fail.
George T. Reeves, member of
the Fairfax County School Board,
said architects had been asked to
figure on the countys school build
ing needs and said their reply
showed about s7,500,000 worth of
construction needed in the immedi-
ate future
At one point in the discussion
Gov. Tuck pointed out that school
buildings had always been a local
problem and he was told promptly
ways of raising additional money
had been almost exhausted. On
top of this, they recalled that the
literary loan fund AS a source of
money for school construction had
been depleted.
S553,OO0 Set Aside.
The Governor said about $535 900
had been set aside from State re-
tlrement fund money for the county
as a literary loan, but that this
money was being held up by pend
ing Virginia Supreme Court decision
on constitutionality of such pro-
ceedingS.
1t is expected as much as $5,0O0,- !
900 may be made available to locali-
les in retirement system funds if
the court upholds the constitution
ality of legislation permitting in
vesrment of this money in local
school bonds.
Maurice Fox, vice chairman of the
Fairfax County Board of Supervis-
ors. said the population still is in
creasing and said he didn't think
the bond issue would have much
chance.
The Board of Supervisors and the
School Board already have passed
resolutions favoring sales tax or
any other form of taxation the Gov
ernor might see fit to recommend to
relieve the situation.
Omer L. Hirst of Annandale intro
duced a number of persons who pre-
sented different aspects of the
school situation to the Governor.
Among them was Harold Ward of
Fairfax County, who presented a
Chart showing population gains.
And after explaining that every ef-
fort had been made to handle the
situation locally, Mr.. Ward declared
"we are out of money"
All NAk