Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-20

SemDly nao expected some
thing like this would happen.
In 1852 - the Legislature
passed an act to permit the
State to lease, sell or give
away" its parks.
That's exactly what the
State Department of Conser-
walton and Development was
attempting to do when Judge
Hoffman called a halt to plans
to lease Seashore.
Some one had a similar plan
in mind when he offered a pro-
posal at last years General
Assembly session. The idea
at that time was to author
ize the State to lease its
public schools to private oper-
ators. But the plan didn't go
through.
"Why should we anticipate a
ruling by the Supreme Court?"
seemed to be the attitude Of
members Of the House Appro-
priations Committee who
studied the proposition.
Action and Reaction
Since then, as every one
knows, the Supreme Court
acted and Gov. Stanley re-
acted. He said he would use
every legal means" to pre-
serve segregation in the schools
and he appointed a special
commission to deal with the
problem. To no ones surprise,
the commission reported it
will continue its search for a
lawful manner of preserving
segregation.
The Virginia Supreme Court
has had the segregation issue
placed before it recently. On
February % it heard the case
OF a group of Negro parents
who kept their children out Of
school after they were denied
admittance to the white high
school in West Point.
Attorney General ]. Lindsay
Almond, jr., argued that segre-
cation was not the issue here,
but rather the refusal of the
parents to comply with the
States compulsory school at
tendance law. Oliver w. Hill
and Spottswood w. Robinson,
III, colored attorneys for the
parents, commended racial dis
elimination was the underly-
ing issue. .
The court now has this case
under Amusement.
Meanwhile, the State may
have to wait until April 20, at
least, before knowing how
or fit 10 going to operate
Seashors this year. That's
the date Judge Hoffman has
set for hearing a suit by four
Negroes who desire to use the
popular resort.
The State operates nine
parks. Of which only one in
Prince Edward County is for
Negroes.
Long Waiting List
The normal opening date for
Seashore, IN Princess Anne
County, is May Is. State Con-
servation Director Raymond v.
Long said that of more than
1000 applications for park
reservations, nearly 600 are for
cabins at the 2.770-acre Sea-
shore park at Cape Henry.
Among the latter was one
filed last week by a Negro at
torney. Martin A. Martin OF
Richmond, for a cabin at Sea-
shore this summer.
If they refuse my applica-
ton" he said, they've got q
lawsuit on their hands"
Mr.. Long said the processing
of all applications for parks,
except Seashore, would begin
Immediately.
Already, he said, II bids
have been received from pros
pective private operators who
desire to take over Seashore.
But with the suit by the
four Negroes pending before
him, Judge Hoffman took
notice of a published statement
attributed to Mr.. Long in
which the segregation problem
was mentioned as o factor in
leasing the park. Mr.. Long
subsequently claimed he was
misquoted by a reporter for a
Negro newspaper in Norfolk.
Judge Hoffman observed
that the leasing of Seashore
could well be a forerunner
of some action by the
General Assembly which would
authorize municipal corpora
tons to similarly lease property
owned by them"
He inquired. also, IF the
State Of Virginia has authority
to lease a State park, would it
not be possible for a municipal
corporation to lease its public
schools to a private individ-
ual?" He added, That's the
very thing that bothers me-"
For these reasons. he said,
he was ordering the State
restrained from proceeding
with its leasing plans until the
original case Is heard April 20.
Higher Courts Ruling
When the Fourth Circuit
Court Of Appeals acted on the
Maryland case two days later.
it seemed to answer the basic
issues OF the case before
Judge Hoffman. The higher
court said, in part:
''It is obvious that racial
segregation in recreational
facilities can no longer be
sustained as q proper exer-
else of the police power Of the
State. :"
But there are those who
contend that this decision