Evening star., 1950-02-23
Darden Supports Bill
To End Segregation
On Virginia Carriers
By the Associoted Press

RICHMOND, Va, Feb. 23.-For-
mer Gov. Colgate Darden was on
record today as favoring a State
law to abolish segregation on
buses and other common carriers.
Mr.. Darden was the chief wit
ness for the Boothe bill in testi-
mony before a General Assembly
committee yesterday.
The University of Virginia pres
ident told the House Courts of
Justice Committee, however, that
he opposed another measure spon-
sored by Delegate Armistead
Boothe of Alexandria. He said
he was against establishment of
Ia Virginia race relations commits
sion.
Action Postponed.
The committee postponed TAX
ing any action on the Boothe pro-
posals today.
Another poll tax repeater was
tossed into the House yesterday
by Delegates Robert Whitehead of
Nelson and Victor P. Wilson of
Hampton. A joint statement said
the resolution seeks these ends:
Abolition of the poll tax as
a registration and voting require
ment; collection of the poll tax
as a source of revenue: require
ment that all persons registering
after December 30, 1852, have a
seventh-grade education or it's
equivalent; providing that all per-
sons registered on December 80,
1852, will not have to register
again or be subject to the educa-
tional requirement; continuation
of our present system of perma-
nent registration; providing for
the annual preparation, posting
and filing in February of each
year of list of all registered vot-
ers. This list is for the informa-
ton of the public, but is not con-
elusive OF the right of a person
to vote
Would Require Referendum.
The new Whitehead Wilson
plan would use the long method
Of constitutional chance - ap-
proval by two sessions of the
Assembly, followed by referen-
dunn. An earlier Whitehead Will
son plan would call a limited con-
stitutional convention.
The House Finance Committee
yesterday killed seven bills rec
commended by the Gray Tax Study
Commission and reported seven
of the same sponsorship.
Killed were bills to authorize
cities and towns to license any,
thing licensed by the tate; and to
allow localities to levy admission
taxes, taxes on transients in ho-
tells, and tax on public utility
bills.
Reported were bills to permit
localities to retain an estimated
81 1,769,591 in annual revenue they
now give the State in excess fees
collected by the clerk of the court
fees on wills, deeds, marriage Ii
censes and writ taxes; and 70 en-
able localities whose roads are in
the State secondary highway sys-
tenn to levy taxes on motor We
hicles.
Only One Milk Bill Left.
Other bills reported were: The
Guy House bill to classify activi-
ties for which amusement taxes
are levied, to enable localities to
exempt charitable affairs, if they
wish; the Coleman House bill to
authorize Scott County to tax dry
cleaners; Bailey House bills pro-
viding for licensing of tobacco
peddlers and wholesale tobacco
merchants; Gordon House bill ex-
empting students at institutions
of higher learning from personal
property tax, and the McCue
Senate bill classifying restaurant
keepers for taxation purposes.
The House Agriculture Commit
tee killed the Wilson House bill
to abolish the Virginia Milk Com
mission and the Cassell House bill
TO abolish the commissions power
to fix milk prices. That left only