Evening star., 1949-04-08
State Aid Sought
In Gloucester
School Case
OffleioIs Hope TO Get
Loon TO equolIze
educotion Foeilities
D., a aass Ssuts css.~ss~~.a.~.

" a aAss Sses Sess~sR@~-ssss
GLOUCESTER, Va Apsa s-
Turned do~n ey the voters On o
$500 900 eo0d ISs,as. SchoS>, osSsclAis
today lookea 10 the state sag help
IN ar effort 10 escape penalties
for tA!llas 10 saaallss white Ard
Negro schools herr.
Wallace Fletcher. memoxr 81
The Gloucester County School
Beard indicated that &ams en-
coQragement has been received
from State officials in obtaining a
loan ne would not Say no~ much
Of funds which voters letuSrd
to approve IN q referendum last
week
Board Chairman Stanley 7.
Gray and Supi Walter J. kennev
yesterday went TO Richmond 10
confer with Gov. Tuck and @.
Tyler Miller State superintendent
Of Public Instruction, on the prob
lem Although the State literary
fund already has been depleted. 4
Is expected that a loan 10 Olou-
cestsr County will be authorized
oy the State Board Of Educalion
at It's next meeting as soon as
MONEY is available,
Z Ruled In Contempt Of Cear,.
Mr. Fletcher. Mr. Gray. Mr..
kenney and the third School
Board member. OTIS How Sc. have
been adjudged In contempt Of
Federal Court for failure 10 pro-
vide substantially equal facilities
at the Gloucester County Train
ing School for Negroes with those
at the white Botetourt Hlsh
School here,
The officials we're told by judge
Sterling Huteheson IN January
that they would have To return
some time this month for i'm
position Of penalties 80 far, M
date for their appearance has
been set.
The Governor gave the 0louees-
ter officials no assurance that the
application for the loan would
satisfy judge HutcheSon.
Mr. kenney said after the con-
ference yesterday that he would
recommend 10 the Gloucester
School Board at q meeting Mon
day night that II put in an ap-
plication for the literary fund
loan.
II was expected that now funds
for the literary fund will not be-
come available until after the next
meeting Of the General Assembly
In January. la+9.
kenney Ts Rs Retired.
Criticized by Judge Hutehesoa
for being too 'leisufely" In i'm
proving conditions since Negroes
first instituted court action In
i947, school offlciais. as well as
the public. are specializing whether
the court will take into considerR-
ton developments that have oe-
CURED since the contempt cila-
ton. The court has indicated that
II may.
These Developments include ae-
tivity on the part OF the school
officials To enlist public support OF
the $500 900 bond issue and .
decision 10 retire Mr.. kenney a.
superintendent.
Mr.. Kenney. who will be 90
years old when his term expires
June 30. already has passed the
voluntary retirement age OF ss
and in another year will have
reached the mandatory retirement
age OF TO The School Board voted
last month not to renew his con-
tract for a four year term.
Voters Decision Seen unwiss.
II Is generally conceded that re-
tirement or resignation OF The
superintendent or board members.
two OF whom assumed once after
the Negroes suit was filed. would
not relieve them Of whatever pen
alties the court may irupoac
Mr.. Fletcher believes that the
voters have made an unwise de-
cision in view Of the fact that
the Federal court already had de-
clared facilities ~ the Negro
school below those At the sehool
for whites
I'm afraid the people who
voted against the bond issue we're
shortaighted. he Aaid. The Judge
may order the colored children
right into the white schools and
some OF the people here won't
stand for that"
The vote by which the bond
issue was rejected was sei against
and 36S for the debt.
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