Evening star., 1950-02-10
VirginiaHouse
DuetoPassR Rent
DecontroI TODAY
But BiIIWouId Exempt
Arlington, Fairfax
And Prince William
By Alex R. Preston
Stor Staff Correspondent

Star Staff Correspondent
RICHMOND, Feb. 10.-The Vir-
ginia House of Delegates prepared
today to pass a Statewide rent
decontrol bill from which Alexan-
dria and Arlington, Fairfax and
Prince William Counties would be
exempted.
The bill was advanced to passing
stage yesterday after a prolonged
debate over a last-minute amend
ment to exclude the Northern
Virginia areas so that they, in
effect, may remain under the
Federal law until all controls are
lifted.
Delegate Frank P. Moncure OF
Stafford and Prince William Coun-
ties, introduced the amendment
without advance warning. II
caught most of the other members
by surprise and set of an hour
and-a-half debate.
MIR. Moncure. was joined by
Delegates Armistead Boothe OF
Alexandria. George Damn of Ar
lington and Edwin Lynch. Fairfax
The Stafford delegate said he was
primarily motivated by housing
and rent gouging conditions re-
ported around the Marine Base
at Quantico.
"Altar of Gold and Greed"
IT am not unmindful of what
happened at Two Jima," Mr.. Mon
cure shouted. "I do not intend
to stand here and let those people
be crucif1ed on the altar of land
lords gold and greed"
He referred to a public hear
ing last week on the bill in which
military officers described rental
conditions in the area as Shock
ing" and warranting congress-
ional investigation.
John w. Boatwright of Buck
ingham County. author of the bill.
objected strenuouSly to exempting
any section of the State. He said
the war emergency is past and
the State should divorce itself
of all Federal controls. He ad-
mitted that he represents an area
which has never come under rent
controls.
1t is UP to Congress and the
military authorities to correct
conditions at Quantico. Mr.. Boat
wright argued. To this, MIR. Mon
cure replied:
"They (Congress) do a lot of
things they shouldn't and don't
do. a hell of a lot they should"
Special Problems Cited.
Mr.. Boothe said he agreed with
the principle of getting out from
under Federal controls wherever
possible. He said. however, that
Northern Virginia areas have
problems not common to the rest
of the State and argued that these
areas still would have means to
decontrol themselves If conditions
improve.
It was not until Delegate Rob-
ert Whitehead of Nelson County
took the floor, however, that Mr..
Moncure's amendment appeared
to gain headway.
He said it would be slap in
the face" to the Northern Vir-
ginia legislators if the rest Of
the House did not respect their
wishes to remain under rent con-
troll for the time being.
He recalled the fight two years
ago involving daylight saving
time which was outlawed in q
Statewide bill. Arlington, Alex
andria and Fairfax, however, were
exempted from that law so that
they could join Washington's IS
summertime schedule.
1--WE gave Northern Virginia
what they wanted then and it
didn't hurt the rest Of U.s." Mr..
SI1OuVCQ.
Declaring the areas economy is
tied to the District of Columbia,
he said it is the most thickly
populated in the State and pays
more into the State treasury than
any other area. "If Northern vir-
ginia wants rent control, I say
let's give it to them" he con-
cluded.
Fenwick to Head Senate Fight.
The vote for the amendment
was SO to 36. When the bill
reaches the Senate, Senator
Charles r. Fenwick of Arlington
will manage the fight to keep the
amendment intact.
Among new bills introduced yes
terday was one by Mr.. Lynch
which would transfer from the
circuit Judge to the Fairfax Board
of Supervisors the power to ap-
point the county surveyor, public
library trustees, Welfare Board
members and the civilian member
of the County Finance Board.
A bill by Delegate j. j. Will
liams, Henrico County, would
freeze all pending annexation pro-
ceedings instituted by cities until
July 1, 1852. It apparently is de-
signed to "backstop" several other
anti-annexation bills which have
questionable chances of passage
at this session.