Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-06
Fenwick Asks Ru|inu
To End Confusion on
New Poll Tax Law

State Senator Charles r. Fem
wick Of Arlington has asked Vir-
Iginia's attorney general for an
opinion on the effect of a new law
which exempts from poll tax pay
ments those citizens who have
lived in the State for less than a
year.
The law, which he co-sponsored
at the recent General Assembly
session. does not become effective
until June %.
But election officials still are re-
quiring payment of poll taxes
from new residents to vote in this
years July Is primary and No
vember 4 elections. The deadline
for paying the tax is May 3.
AT present, a person moving
into the State after January /
1851. is not assessable for taxes
and yet is required to pay the poll
tax In order to VOTE" Senator Fem
wick said. LAS result, they ara
assessed for 1852 taxes and then
when they seek to register. are
confronted with the fact that they
Should have paid the 1851 poll
tax. 1t may then be too late to
pay the tax since such taxes must
be paid six months prior to the
general election"
Will Reply to Whitehead.
Senator Fenwick will discuss
this as well as other new legisla-
ton in a broadcast at 3 o'clock
this afternoon on radio station
WARL.
In that broadcast, too, he will
take exception to two criticisms
made in Arlington and Fairfax
recently by Delegate Robert
Whitehead of Nelson County, an
antl-Byrd organization leader who
may run for Governor next year.
Mr.. Whitehead had said a new
run-off primary law changed the
date of the primary from August
5 to July IS this year so Senator
Byrd could be nominated before
the Democratic National conven-
ton July 81. Thus, Mr.. Whitehead
reasoned, Senator Byrd could bolt
the convention without being &C
countable to the voters in August.
Advocated for Many Years.
"Out of fairness" Senator Fem
wick said, 1T should be borne in
mind that great many people
have been advocating a run-off
primary for a number of years 90.
The fundamental purpose is to
require that candidate receive
a majority vote rather than a
plurality. 1t should also be re-
membered that this measure ap-
plies not only to the Office of Sem
Iator but to the Governor, Lieuten-
ant Governor and attorney gen.
.eral"
The date had to be moved up
because candidates must file so
days before the November cleo
ton, Senator Fenwick said.
The November election will be
held this year on November 4.
which means that filings must be
completed by September S. If the
first primary had been left to
August S there would have been
little time for the run-off cleo
ton. 1t should be borne in
mind that this is a permanent
change and not just for one year."
Proper Legislation. He Says.
Senator Fenwick said it is all
ways easy to imply some motive
to perfectly proper legislation"
He did not mention Mr.. White
head by name. but added:
This same distinguished GENTLE
man takes exception to the Con-
gressional redistricting bill which
places the new 10th District in
Northern Virginia, stating that it
is out of balance because there
is more than 100000 difference in
population between the smallest
and largest districts.
This is true. but the same
gentleman was patron on the
same House bill when it provided
that the new 9th District would
have only 100000. The present
bill gives the 9th, 296,985, thus
decreasing the discrepancy"
Senator Fenwick was the chief