Evening star., 1952-03-03
Poll Tax Repeal
For Virginia Dies
In Senate Group
Question Cannot
Come Up for Action
Again Before 1856
By Alex R. Preston
Sfur Steff correspondens

Sfur steff Correspondent
RICHMOND, Va, Mar. 3.-A
State Senate committee today
killed all proposals aimed at re-
pealing the poll tax as a pre-
requisite to voting.
The Senate Privileges and Elec.
tions Committee voted 10 to l
against reporting favorably on
two poll tax repeal resolutions.
Such matters. involving changes
10 the State constitution, first
must be passed by two consecu-
tive sessions Of the General As
sembly and then submitted to the, ,
voters in a referedum.
No Action Before 1856. -
The committees action, there
fore, means that the question Of
poll tax repeal cannot possibly be
acted on before 1856, and then
only if the 1854 Assembly adopts
an appropriate resolution. The
current. 1852, session will end
Saturday night.
One Of the repeal resolutions
killed by the Senate committee
today already had passed the
House and was designed to submit
the question in its simplest form
to the voters. The other resolu-
ton had been sponsored by Sem
ators Edward Breeden and Rob-,
ert Baldwin Of Norfolk, and was
more complicated in that is spelled
out such things as voter registra-
tion provisions.
Rejected in l949.
In 1949, Virginia voters in a
referendum turned down the
question of poll tax repeal. The
question then was submitted on
a series of so-called Campbell
amendments" to the Constitution
which had been adopted by the
Assembly in 1916 and 1948. How
ever, supporters of poll tax repeal
contend that the issue was not
clearly decided because the Camp
bell amendments involved a COM
plicated series of questions which
few people could understand.
The Assembly pushed into the
home stretch today, the final
week of the 1852 legislative ses-
sion.
There was a possibility q new
move might be started to set
60-day deadline for presidential
candidates to file to have their
names placed on the Virginia
ballot.
John J. Wicker, jr., of Rich
mond, chairman of the American
Legion's Legislative Committee,
appealed to the Legislature to
establish such a deadline so bal
lots could be printed earlier and
distributed in time for more Vir-
ginia servicemen to cast absentee
ballots.
The present deadline is 80 days
before election day. But, Mr..
Wicker said, it doesn't allow
enough time for many servicemen
to vote.
The Assembly last week passed
a bill to AK a 60-day deadline
before the general election for
filing notice Of presidential can
didacy. It did so over the protest
'of Delegate Robert Whitehead
|of Nelson who said it might keep
the name of the National Demo-
cratic nominee off the Virginia
ballot, if the Democratic party of
Virginia decided to support an
other candidate. At the request Of
the bills sponsor, Gov. Battle
said he will veto the bill.
Under the so-called anti
Truman law of 1948, the Virginia
Democratic convention can bolt"
the national party and reject its
presidential nominee any time go
days before the election date.
However, the law provides that
the national nominees name can
be placed on the ballot 80 days
before the election if his support
ers obtain as many as 1000 sigma
lures on a petition.
Not Enough Time Seen.
With the 60-day deadline, Mr..
Whitehead contended, there might
not be any time to round up the
signatures If the State convention
were held, say. on the Goth day.
Mr.. Wicker's proposal, while,
having the 60-day deadline, would
require the State Democratic con-
vention to decide at least IS days
before election day whether to
support the national nominee.
During its Saturday session, the
following developments occurred
in the legislature:
The House Roads Committee
gave approval to bills to stiffen
Virginia's highway safety laws.
The House put in line for pass
age today a bill to establish an
advisory board Of higher educa-
ton.
Milk Commission Wins.
The Senate General Laws Com
mittee killed a bill to abolish the
State Milk Commission.
A similar bill to abolish the
commission, set up by the Milk
and Cream Act of 1884, died in
Ia House committee earlier. Pre-.
viously killed was a bill to amend
the Richmond charter to exclude
the milk commission from there.
The Senate Courts of Justice
Committee killed a bill which
would have prohibited hotel and
restaurant owners from advertis-
ing that the patronage of certain
persons is not solicited because Of
their religion.
But the committee agreed to q
resolution expressing the General
Assembly's opposition to such
advertising, and the Senate
passed it.