Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-06
Virginia Senate
Is Due toPass
WorkBi|| TODAY
Measure Would
Put More Teeth
In State Law
By Alex R. Preston
Star SsoH Correspondent


RICHMOND, Mar. 6.-The
State Senate was set today to
give final approval to legislation
putting more teeth in the right
to-work law. e
The measure was advanced
yesterday by a preliminary Sen
ate vote Of Is to IA. The vote
came after a floor fight in which
an Eastern Virginia Senator i'm
piled that the Governors in
dorsement Of the bill was as
much a broken campaign promise
of last year as was Gov. Stanley's
reversal in recommending q /.
cent gasoline tax raise. =
Fenwick Bill Killed.
Earlier the Senate killed, II
to q, the Fenwick bill to repeal
reciprocity agreements with other
States on the 2 per cent gross
receipts tax on truckers. OPP
ponents Of the bill read a letter
from Maryland's motor vehicle
commissioner threatening retail
alton against Virginia If the bill
were enacted.
Attacks on Gov. Stanley's in
dorsement of the right-to-work
amendments heretofore had been
directed principally from legis-
lators from the southwestern
part Of the State who commended
he had broken q campaign
promise.
The latest assault came from
an Eastern Virginian, Senator
Victor Wilson of Hampton. who
said that. during Mr.. Stanley's
campaign, 1--WE relied on" state
ments that no labor legislation
nor increases in taxes would be
sought. ..
Calls Bill Unnecessary.
Senator George M. Warren Of
Bristol. branded the legislation as
unnecessary" Labor relations
in Virginia have been quiet dur
ing five sessions of the General
Assembly since the original
right-to-work law was enacted
in 1948. Mr.. Warren said.
At recent public hearings on
the new legislation, he added,
only the representatives Of a
few disgruntled contractors in
Northern Virginia and a few
others supported this bill. I have
not encountered a single man
here who has not asked, What's
the necessity for this?'" r..
Senator Robert o. Norris of
Lancaster, author of the bill
that would make violations Of
the existing law a criminal Of
tense, shouted IF we're going to
have a right-to-work law. let's
have one with teeth in it"
Retaliation Threatened.
Before killing the gross re-
ceipts tax bill, Senator v. A.
Etheridge of Princess Anne said
Maryland was among the States
that had threatened to retaliate
if Virginia suspended reciprocity
on this tax. He read this por-
ton of a letter from Maryland's
commissioner of motor vehicles,
Thomas B. r. Mudd:
I'm the event this bill becomes
law, ! feel that it will then be
necessary for all Virginia trucks
to purchase Maryland title and
pay the excise or title tax of 2
per cent based on the gross pur-
chase price or value of the We
hicle. and all registration fees.
before entering the State of
Maryland"
In showing a reporter the let
ter later. it was seen that Mr..
Etheridge had not read all Of
the letter. which was dated July
80. 1858, or six months before
the Assembly was in session. A
sentence before the portion read
to the Senate said:
ut has been brought to my
attention that the Virginia Leg
islature is considering a bill
which will completely eliminate
all reciprocity to trucks operat-
ing through that State"
During floor debate. Arlington
Senator Charles r. Fenwick ar
gued that the bill would not end
reciprocity on license tags or
gasoline taxes. He contended il
would apply only to the gross
receipts tax and compel outside
truckers to pay for the damage
they do to Virginia's roads. Fur
thermore, he said. Virginia truck
ers should pay a similar tax in
other States.