Evening star., 1950-02-12
Battle Signs Bill
For S45 Million
In School Grants
Drops Hint Localities
Must Garry More
OF Loud in Future
By the Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. Feb. 11.-Gov.
Battle signed the $45 100000 school
grants bill into law today. He
then dropped a pointed hint that
it would be up to the localities to
carry more of the financial burden
for schools in the future.
In putting his signature on the
bill, the Governor was able to
deliver on a main campaign prom
Use less than a month after he
took Office.
Standing near him for the cere-
monial signing were Senator Rob-
ert 0. Norris, Senate Finance
Committee chairman; Delegate
Howard H. Adams, House Appro-
priations Committee chairman.
and DoweH j. Howard, acting
State superintendent of public
instruction. Senator Norris and
Delegate Adams were the bills
chief legislative pilots. Mr.. How
ards department will handle the
administration of the program.
Notes Reassessment Proposal.
Gov. Battles hint to the local.
tiles which will soon be able to
receive school funds under the
law came in a prepared state
ment. In it he called attention
to State Tax Study Commission
bills before the legislature, one
of which calls for quadrennial re-
assessments of local land values
for tax purposes. He hopes, said
Gov. Battle, that the General
Assembly will give careful and
sympathetic consideration to the
recommendations of the Tax
Study Commission.
II believe that the strengthen
ing of the school systems and the
proper education of the children
in the schools will inevitably re-
suit in stronger and more vigorous
local government" the Governor
said.
But in order to carry out our
programs for schools and in order
that local government may be
able to help itself in the future.
there must be reasonable, fair
and equitable local taxes; and OF
course such taxes cannot be levied
except upon a basis of fair, equi-
table and accurate assessments"
Stresses Emergency.
Gov. Battle emphasized that en-
actment of the law was designed
ITO meet an emergency and did
not establish permanent policy
of grants for the localities to
build schools. He took occasion
also to reply to what he called
"erroneous statements" made
about the bill while it was under
consideration in the Assembly.
1T was referred to as being
similar to the Federal grants so
extravagantly handed out from
Washington. he said. There is
not the slightest resemblance be-
tween the two situations. The
Federal Government is being op-
Grated on deficit spending to an
alarming extent. The monies
granted to the localities under
House Bill No. 96 for school con-
struction are allocated from q
balanced budget.
"It is said that these grants
constitute some form of paternal-
ism. Those who make this charge
evidently overlook or deliberately
ignore the Virginia constitutional
requirements under which the
establishment and maintenance OF
a public school system is made the
Joint responsibility of the State
and the localities, 1t is partner
ship arrangement in which both
must participate and for which
State and localities are equally
responsible.
Denies Permanent Change.
On whether the State grants
represented any threat to local
self-government, the Governor
added:
"This measure certainly does
not interfere with local affairs,
for the State has always con-
tributed large amounts for school
operating expenses and has at
tempted in some degree to see to
the proper operation of the public
school system.
1T Is true that the State has
not heretofore contributed to the
construction of school buildings.
We are not now embarking on a
program which permanently
changes that policy, but we are
facing an emergency. In that
emergency it would appear to be
proper for the State to come to
the relief of the schools-not Of
the localities but of the schools"
The Governor noted that 10 per
cent of the total of funds would
be set aside as an equalization
fund to aid the proper counties
in other words help them more
than the formula for distribution.
based on actual school enrolment
as of December /, 1949, would
provide. ...
To Ask Enrolment Figures.
After the bill signing, the public
instruction superintendent said
his Office would request the en-
rollment figures from the locali-
ties and set up as soon as posi-
Bile the channels for distributing
the money. Two thirds of the
$45 million will be available inn
mediately. The remaining SIS
million will be distributed after
July /. 1851.
Enactment of the school grants
law carried out one request that
the Governor made of the Legis-
lature. Another which he en-
bodied in his inaugural address
a law to permit him to seize coal
mines and operate them in times