Evening star., 1948-01-16
Richmond Plan :
For Charter Stirs
AssennblYFight
Arlington Election
Proposals Moy Foee
Same Objections
By Alex R. Preston
By Alex r. Preston
Stor Ssoff cerrsspendsns

RICHMOND, Va, Jan. l6.-A
Richmond city charter bill is meet
ing the same objections in the
General Assembly that proponents
Of nonpartisian elections for the
Arlington County Board may expect
to encounter.
As the Legislature went into its
final session today before the week
end recess, the Richmond charter
fight was developing into Statewide
proportions.
This is because the plan proposes
to abolish the primary as a method
Of selecting candidates for a new
City Council, and, like any attempt
to remove elective offices from con-
troll Of the Democrats, the Richmond
plan is meeting objections for polit-
ical reasons.
The Arlington County Civic Fed
Grafton and the Arlington Better
Government League have asked for
legislation for nonpartisan elections
Of the County Board. Thus far,
Arlington's legislative delegation,
Delegates George Damn and j.
Maynard Magruder and Senator
Charles r. Fenwick, have not ap-
proved that program.
State Constitution Cited.
They are sympathetic, however,
with another part of the same pro-
gram to hold nonpartisan elections
for the Arlington School Board. In
line with this they propose to re-
move partisan politics from the
School Board by holding the elec-
ton for that body in June.
That portion of the Richmond
charter regarded as significant to
Arlington says:
mo primary election shall be held
for the nomination of candidates
for the office of councilman, and
candidates shall be nominated only
by petition"
Some legislators here already have
questioned whether this language
violates the State constitution be-
cause the charter would prohibit
anyone from running If he had been
nominated by a political party.
The constitution requires that all
laws governing elections be uniform.
Bad Precedent Seen.
II legislation can be legally
adopted to move the Arlington
School Board election date from
November to June-so as to divorce
1t sharply from political elections
the county's delegation here antici-
pates some objections but hopes to
overcome them.
The Richmond City Democratic
Committee has written members of
the Assembly asking that the part of
the proposed charter relating to the
non-partisan election of the council
be changed.
Opposition also came today from
Delegate N. C. Bailey of Orange
County who said:
II am strongly against breaking
down the primary system of elec-
tions anywhere If it's broken
down in the capitol city of Virginia
1t might break down everywhere
else"
The Orange County delegate was
asked II he would oppose legislation
to elect the Arlington County Board
without first holding a primary.
II certainly would, and for the
same reasons" he replied.
Jobless Benefit Bill Received.
The legislature yesterday received
the first bill of the session carrying
out part of the program outlined by
Gov. Tuck in his message Wednes-
day.
Chairman John S. Battle of the
Senate Finance Committee spon-
sored the measure to increase maxi
mum unemployment compensation
benefits from SIS to $40 weekly and
to reduce the minimum payroll tax
on employers for this purpose. The
Governor had pointed out that the
balance in the unemployment trust
fund stood at more than SIT 000,-
900 and the employers burden
should be reduced.
In addition to implementing both
of these requests, the bill would ex-
tend the coverage to employers of
one or more persons at such time
as Congress may approve the Fed
eral payroll tax for such employers.
Among other provisions was one
that the employers tax could be in
creased if the s77,00o, 900 fund is re-
duced to a hazardous figure"
Communist Party Ban Sought.
The bill was regarded as prob
ably the only tax reduction meas
ure to be proposed by the admins
tration, this session. Gov Tuck
submitted a 7-point program to
raise levies on existing sources and
opposed a sales tax in his message
Wednesday.
On the House side, Delegate
Frank P. Moncure of Stafford and
Prince william Counties introduced
q bill to outlaw the Communist
Party" He was a co-patron of the
bill with Delegate B. G. Locher Of
Rockbridge County.
The same two sponsored the
States antistrike legislation at the
1916 session, which was enacted
after much debate.
Although it does not mention the
Communist Party by name, Mr..
Moncure said the new bill is in
tended to ban that organization
from Virginia.
1t provides penalties of from three
to five years imprisonment and a
81 900 fine for persons who unlaw-
fully promote a change in the form
Of Government of the United States.
Resolution Hits Wallace.
The House also got q joint reso-
luton aimed at Henry A. Wallace
and branding his organization as
one made up and supported by
Communists and by others who have
lost or never had devotion to Demo-
cratic ideals" The resolution was
offered by Delegate John B. Boat
wright of Buckingham.
Delegates Felix F. Edmunds of
Waynesboro and George M. Coch-
ran of Staunton sponsored a bill to
provide new charter for Waynes-
boro. The measure would make the
city a first class municipality.
Another bill by Mr.. Moncllre