Evening star., 1952-01-11
boothe Bill Asks
z New Judges
or Alexandra
TozewelI Delegate
Offers Measure for
| 3 Per Cent Soles Tax
By Alex r. Preston
Stuy Sfuff ccrFNspondent

By Alex R. Preston
Ssor Stuff Correspondent
RICHMOND, Jan. .1l.-LesislA.
ton to give Alexandra a second
Corporation Court Judge and .
second Judge Of the Civil and Po-
lice Court is being prepared in
the Virginia General Assembly
when it resumes in session Mon.
day.
Delegate Armistead Boothe Of
said he is having the
bills prepared.
There is more need for it now
than there was" he said. When
we annexed about rs square miles
of Fairfax territory we also took
on about $4,000 more citizens"
Under present law. Alexandria
would have been entitled to .
second Judge in the lower court
since cities which reachs q cer-
tain population level autoniats
ically get one civil court and one
police court Judge. The civil
judge would be appointed by the
Legislature and the police Judge
would be named by the City
Council. Mr.. Boothe's bill, how
ever, would authorize a second
civil and police court Judge,
elected by the people, the same
as at present. =.
Sales Tax Bill Offered.
The Assembly. before recessing
until noon Monday, received its
first piece Of sales tax legislation.
The measure, sponsored by Or.
Jack Witten Of Tazewell in the
House of Delegates, Is substans
TALLY the same as one he intro.
duced in 1850. s.
DR.. Witten's bill would impose
a per cent tax on all retail
sales of is cents or more, with
the levy beginning at cent for
a 15-cent purchase.
Gov. Battle has not called for .
sales tax in his revenue program
and, in fact. has expressly op-
posed it. The Northern Virginia
delegations generally, hoping to
retair. an advantage over WASH
Iington and Maryland-both with
sales taxes-also have promised to
fight all measures Of this sort.
Local Legislation Asked.
The House delegation from Au-
gusta County. Felix Ednunds and
George M. Cochran, sponsored .
bill giving the Board Of Super
visors of that county authority to
appropriate from the general fund
to pay of claims for rabies treat
ment and livestock damage when
ever the local dog tax fund is de.
| pleted.
Other new legislation intro
duced yesterday included bill by
State Senator E. o. McCue. tr., Of
Charlottesville to prohibit political
meetings in public school build.
lingS. -.-.-..
Mr.. McCue, who is serving, his
second term in the Senate seat
formerly occupied by Gov. Battle.
had a particularly bitter fight
last August to win denomination
against the Albemarle County
school superintendent, Joseph
Hendley.
He also sponsored a bill to
abolish the intangible personal
property tax.
Tighter Antelope LAW,
Arlington's delegation, Senator
Charles R. Fenwick and Delegates
j. Maynard Magruder and George
Damn. introduced identical bills
to make it an offense to sell
marijuana or other drugs to
minors. The present law covers
illegal sales generally, but they
would stiffen the penalty for sales
to minors, making 1t punishable
by a mandatory sentence Of ut
least three years.
With the reapportionment Of
congressional and General Assem-
bly, representation facing the leg
islators this year, an issue which
promises to provoke a hard fight.
Delegate Frank P. Moncure Of
Stafford and Prince William
Counties has called for a special
30-day session beginning April !
to take up this problem.
Mr.. Moncure's resolution would
prohibit the present regular ses-
sion from considering any redis-
tricting measures and would limit
the extra session to action on that
subject.
The Assembly yesterday also re.
ceived proposals that would:
! Require all nominations for
judgeships-the Assembly elects
jjudges-to be submitted to SEN
ate and House Courts Of Justice
Committees. who would investigate
the candidates qualifications.
Cut the license tax On whole
salers from 20 to 13 cents q hun.
dred after the first $4,000.
Require, in effect, that all mo-
tor vehicle drivers in Virginia
have adequate insurance coveraee.
Prohibit Virginia courts from
hearing proceedings brought to re-
cover for goods sent by mail but
not ordered by the receiver.
Have the State Corporation
Commission recommend changes
in the Constitution to limit the
earnings Of telephone companies
Ito 3 per cent Of their investment.
Set up a commission to study
how much should be charged At
IState-supported colleges, mental
institutions, tuberculosis sanatoris
and other similar institutions.