Evening star., 1950-01-19
Batt|eProposa|s
Raise Two Issues
In Legislature
Non-Motehing Bosis
Of School Aid Hit as
HurtingLo LocoIIncentive
By Alex R. Preston
Star Stoff CORRESPONDENT

By Alex R. Preston
Star Stof Correspondent
RICHMOND, Va. Jan. 18th
legislative program submitted b,
Gov. Battle in his inaugural ad
dress yesterday has raised tw,
principal issues in the minds o
members of the General AS
sembly:
Whether his proposed $45 900,
600 grant to localities for schoo
construction fails to provide al
incentive for local effort by no
requiring matching funds.
How appropriate legislation car
be drawn to meet his request TO,
voluntary jury service b!
women"
Reaction generally among Re.
publicans and Democrats alike
was favorable to the Democratic
Governors proposals. Many o.
the lawmakers reserved commen
until they could read the address
Matching Basis Urged.
Delegate Robert Whitehead O.
Nelson. leader of the anti-organ.
ization forces within the Demo.
cratic Party, was "gratif1ed" al
the emphasis placed on education
which, to him, indicated definite
leadership which is most encour.
aging" He added, however:
1T is regrettable that he feels
that his campaign promises pre-
clude him from recommending
that the localities be required tc
match the State grants for school,
construction as condition to par
ticipate in the 100000 fund.
Teamwork between the State
and the localities in this all-im-
portant undertaking can best be
accomplished on a matching basis
Local matching will encourage
local contributions"
Delegate Frank Beazley of
Bowling Green was in agreement
with most of the Governors rec
concentrations except that he had
some reservation about jury serv-
ice for women. He thought there
would be difficulty in writing a
law to meet Gov. Battles objec-
tive of voluntary" service.
Magruder Backs Program.
Delegate j. Maynard Magruder
of Arlington, a member of the
State Tax Study Commission
which, had recommended that 10
calities match the State school
construction grants. said that he
would support the program as
submitted by the new Governor
Senator Charles r. Fenwick,
also of Arlington, and Delegate
Bentley Hite, Republican. OF
Montgomery County were i'm
pressed with Gov. Battles "sin-
cerity" of purpose. Senator Fen
wick said he indorsed the program
and Mr.. Hite expressed the opin-
ion that no opposition would be
advanced by the seven Republican
members Of the House of Dele
gates.
Gov. Battle recommended that
the $45,000,000. already included
in the budget bill introduced Mon
day, be stricken out of that meas
ure and be put through as emer-
gency legislation so that the first
$30,000,000 would become avail
able to the localities sooner than
July /, the date the Appropria.
tions Act becomes effective. The
remaining $15,000,000 would be-
come available after July l, 1851
Would Use Enrolment Figure.
At a press conference after thu
inaugural. the Governor explained
that he proposed to distribute ths
construction grants on a basis o.
enrolment on a given date, such
as December /. 1949. instead of or
population figures.
This. he said. was because such
communities as Arlington, Fairfa1
and Norfolk-and he named then
speciflcally-would suffer as re.
suit of phenomenal population
growths since the last census il
1910. They would not have re.
ceived benefits commensurate witt
the additional burden thrown or
their school system within the las
10 years, he explained.
Mr.. Magruder also lauded Gov
Battles proposal to segregate II
per cent of the $45,000, 900 as al
equalization fund to aid those 10.
calities financially unable to bring
their school systems up to &C.
ceptable standards. The Arlington
delegate conceded that his owl
county would not be expected t,
benefit from the equalization fund.
and that most of its benefits woule
accrue to the rural and less pros.
porous areas.
Cites Campaign Promise.
AS further aid to education
the Governor suggested that the
balance in the State bond sink.
ing fund in excess of legal re.
quirements be transferred to thu
State literary fund from which
localities borrow for school con.
struction. The amount of this
excess is about $14,000,000 anc
the literary fund has been de.
pleted by loans already granted
The literary fund might fur
ther be restored to a more healthy
condition, he pointed out, by q
provision that the money granted
localities could be used to pay
OH their previous borrowings
from the literary fund if the To-
calities did not require the money
for new construction.
He said that he did not sug.
gest that localities match the
State grants because of his cam.