Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-18

of the commissions plan coult
lead to more complications thar
its approval.
For example, this is how Stat,
Senator Garland Gray of Sus
sex County-in Eastern Virgins
summed up the situation al
the recent General Assembly:
There are more than Is coun
ties and one or two cities wher,
the white school population l
less than one-half. Faced will
possible indignation, this pre-
sents us in this section Of Vir
GINA with an inSurmountabl'
problem.
May I say to you with all thu
sincerity that I possess tina
enforced indignation in Eastern
Virginia will drive us to the ex
tremity of closing many of oul
public schools. Make no mistak.
ABOUT This.
Cites Local Autonomy
The Gray Commission report
unanimously agreed to by its 3.
members from all sections o.
Virginia. says:
I'm some localities wher,
there are few Negroes. the prob
lem Of adjustment is not 81
serious as it Is in localities with
large Negro populations. In tn,
latter it is believed that tn,
people will abandon public
schools rather than accept any
Indignation.
"Our school properties, rep.
resenting an investment o.
nearly half-a-billion dollars. arr
owned by the localities, and the
money for their operation il
raised in great part from loca
taxes. Obviously. the schools can.
not continue without the sup.
port of the people. and we must
leave a large measure OF auton-
omy to the localities. ever
though that may result in the
closing of public schools"
One Third Might Close
Members Of the Gray Com.
mission. have said that public
schools in as many as ofle-thirc
Of the States 90 counties nigh,
close il, indignation Is forced
upon them.
Boards Of Supervisors in abou
a dozen counties have indicates
they are ready to make schoo
appropriations on q month-to
month basis. This would piac,
them IN q position to close dow
Immediately If Q court order,
integration.
-Four counties-Prince Edward
Nottoway. Sussex and Surry-
actually approved the month-to
month budget procedures. Late
they provided funds for the en-
tire year when the State Boars
of Education and Gov. Stanle!
said it would be the policy Il
open schools on the customar!
segregated basis last fall.
Delegate Samuel E. Pope o
Southampton went before hi
board of supervisors and tolc
members they need not carry on
their announced intention o
budgeting month-to-month. Tn
supervisors then issued q state
ment saying they would neve
appropriate public funds for al
integrated school.
There were about IL countie
in Southside and Eastern Vir
ginia that expressed simila
views" Mr.. Pope says.
Would Cut Teacher Supply
II only a portion of the schoo
systems shut down even for a
long as two years. the supply o
teachers would be disrupted an
many other adverse effects woul'
be felt-including. of course, tn
fact that the Negro children pre-
Isumably would suffer much NOR
than the white children.
That is because other countie
presumably would follow the ex
ample of Prince Edward. Their
white parents have raise
Through pledges and donation
100000 for a private schoc
system if public schools ar
CLOSED
Says Senator Gray: ut woul
be well for the people of Virgins
to be mindful that not only
the most vital portion of tn
commissions program befor
them for judgment, but
should be thoroughly understood
that the Supreme Court of Vir
Iginia has stricken down thos
disbursements now being mad
for public grants to war orphans
for teachers scholarships. 70
the rehabilitation of handicappe'
persons and for graduate ali
funds for Negroes as being Il
violation of Section al of GU
State Constitution"
IL Points in Proposal
The referendum on January
will determine whether voter
will authorize a limited constitu
Itional convention. The conven
Ition would change Section IA
which now bans use OF publ
funds in private schools.
The first part of the commits
sion program. which Chairma
Gray calls 1.-The most importan
one" is based on approval Of tn
referendum.
The rest Of the l2-point plar
including assignment of pupil
to particular schools and revi
sion of the compulsory attend
ance law, rests with the me-
General Assembly that will b
sworn in January IL.
THE feeling on the commits
sion is that the plan is a packag
deal. One part depends upon tn