Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-02-04
New Sales Levy
To Be Offered
Virginia House
Third of Receipts
Would Be Credited
To Realty Taxes
o., hIex p praekon
By Alex R. Preston
Sfor Staff Correspondent

Gov. Tuck plan to raise NOR
money during the next two years
The Legislature was in recess to-
day in memory of Attorney Genera
Harvey B. Apperson, who died Mon
day. Funeral services for Mr.. Ap
person were to be held this after
noon at Salem.
When the lawmakers meet agar
they also will:
Receive a favorable report on s
bill to permit fast-groWing com
munities to benefit in the distribu'
ton of State funds based on popu'
lation gains between regular cen
suses.
Refer to committee new piece
of legislation-the fifth bill on the
subject-designed to tighten an
nexation procedure.
Pope Bill Outlined.
Delegate Samuel E. Pope o.
Southampton County is the lates
proponent of q sales tax plan which
he said, would bring about $685..
100000 annually. One-third of thi!
revenue would be returned to the
localities as a credit against loca
real estate levies.
Mr.. Pope said he expects to intro
duce the bill tomorrow. He said he
hopes it will be adopted instead OF
the seven-point revenue program OF
Gov. Tuck which would increase
levies on existing sources to raise
s21, 100000 during the next two
years. One of the Governors pro-
posals would increase the mer-
chants tax from 13 to 20 cents per
500 gross receipts. The Governor
is opposed to sales tax except as a
last resort.
AS an inducement to merchants
to accept the substitute. the South
ampton County delegate would
license all merchants for IS and
abolish the present tax against
them. This would save mechants
more than 100000 a year, he
said. AS a further inducement he
would adopt a feature of the Ohio
sales tax plan. Sales would be &C
compariied by tax stamps which the
merchants could purchase at the
rate of 500 worth for $97.
Measure Is Approved.
A bill to benefit localities when
the Federal Government makes OFF,
cial population surveys between
regular censuses every 10 years, was
reported favorably yesterday by the
House Committee on Counties,
Cities and Towns. 1t was intro
duced by Delegates Lewis A. Nc
Murran. ir., of Newport News and
;lArnlistead L. Booth of Alexandria.
IT At present Fcertain State funds.
such as Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board profits, gasoline taxes and
iEother money, are distributed under
formulas involving population fig
ures of the previous official census.
The bill would extend such appli-
cations to special population sur
veys.
Last Saturday the Arlington
County Board approved School
Board, request for a special census
of the county. The 1910 census
credited the county with about 50,-
900 inhabitants, while the present
estimate is about 100000.
Magruder Heads Group.
+ Delegate j. Maynard Magruder OF
Arlington was chairman of sub
7 committee that recommended APP
proval. The bill is expected to pro-
woke debate on the floor before the
I weekend recess.
Il The latest bill on annexation was
K introduced by Delegate Ernest Rob-
Il ertson of Roanoke County 1t would
prohibit any city from instituting
! annexation proceedings in court un-
til the voters of the city and of the
area to be absorbed have approved
the question in a referendum.
This plan goes further than one
introduced last week by Delegate
Paul Crockett of Yorktown, requir.
4 ing approval only of the resident:
4 of the area to be acquired.
\ In an attempt to hear opposing
1. arguments on both of these bills, a.
II well as three others that have beer
n introduced, Chairman Joseph j
II williams of the House Committee
II on Counties, Cities and Towns ha:
II set a public hearing for Tuesday
n The same committee of the Senate
L which has two of the measures, viii
Il be invited to sit with the House
!, body.
H Bill to Be Withdrawn.
I Delegate Frank P. Moncure o.
Stafford and Prince William Coun.
. ties, announced on the floor of the
!. House Yesterday he would Withdraw
!, q bill he sponsored to legalize lot
teries for charitable, fraternal ant
nonprofit civic organizations. HI
:. said he had agreed to do this if TIT
4 measure was ruled unconstitutional
i The late Attorney General so ruled
"A he said.
H Among new bills offered yester
Il, day was one by Dr. Jack Witten O.
# Tazewell County, requiring at leas
Hone hour a week driving instruc
II tions in the freshman classes o
u high schools.
~ Delegate o. E. McCue of Char
I! lottesville sponsored an amendmen
H to his city's charter to exempt from
+ local taxation all University of Vir
/ ginia property as of January l, 1885
Z The measure also revises the Cit.
+ Councils taxing powers and woul'
/ set up a stagger method of selecting
/. q seven-member school board.
Il House Backs Repeal.
81, The House passed, in the. mos
H sharply divided vote to date, BIZ
81 to permit the Virginia High Schoe
nj League to set the age limit for par
M Elephants in scholastic sports. TIL
X, vote was So to 80 and repeats LAY
Il, which sets the age limit at 20 year
liz and 6 months. The bill would max
III possible the lowering of the ag
I'LL limit.
III The House approved a bill b
III Robert McCandlish of Fairfa
III amending the charter of the tow
of Vienna. The town sergear
\ would be appointed by the Tow
H Council instead of being elected.
i GombIine to Be Topic