Evening star., 1955-11-16
y
Pupil Subsidy
Seen Unneeded
In Virginia Plan
Two Leaders Stress
Proposal to Assign
Children to Schools
BY ALEX r. PRESTON

to give local Scn0ol poarQS power
to assign children to particular
schools should make 1t unneces-l
sary for Virginia to substitute
private education to avoid segre-
cation, two leaders Of the Gem
eral Assembly said today.
This view, BY Delegate Armi-|
stead L. Boothe. Alexandria
Democrat, paralleled an opinion
expressed by Republican State
Senator Ted Dalton Of Radford.
Theirs were the latest COM
nents on the report Of the Conn
mission on Public Education
headed by State Senator Car
land Gray Of Wayerly. The cOm-
missions report. released Satur-I
day, was designed to give Vir-I
ginia localities means OF
avoiding the mixing Of whites
and Negroes in classrooms.
The strongly pro-segregation-
ist group, the Defenders Of State
Sovereignty and Individual hfb-|
critics, took . view opposite t0)
that expressed By Mr.. BOothe
and Mr.. Dalton. It indorsed theI
plan for tuition grants for pri-|
yate education which win res
uuire an amendment to the State
Constitution but opposed theI
assignment idea because itl
makes integration possible.
Leader Of 'sTurkss
Mr.. Boothe is recognized asI
one Of the two leaders OF the
young Turks In the House OIL
Delegates. His group denon-I
strated af the 1854 session itsl
ability to capture control from
the usually dominant conserya-t
tive element on critical issues.
Although Mr.. Boothe now Is q
State Senator-elect from Alex
andria, he does not assume that
once until the regular session.
Of the Assembly on January II. /
Consequently, at the specialE
session called by Gov. Stanley
for November 80 to deal with the
1rst phase Of the Gray C0nmis-l
sion recommendations. Mr..
Bo0tte still win be in the House
81 Delegates. where the Young
Turks can make their strongest
showing.
Mr.. Dalton has demonstrated
1 huge following by recently
winning reelection overa Deni-l
ocrat by the widest margin mi
his career. He also poiled 45 perl
cent Of the votes for Governors
tNp years ago.
THE Defenders. q Statewide
group, represents the views OF ali
large segment In Southside Vir-l
giraia counties where the Negro
population Is heaviest.
The most effective sugges-
ti6ns COT the commission) are
those which recognize local au-l
tonony and confer additional
powers on local school boards.
Mr.. Boothe said. II the local
school boards are granted the
powers which the commission
recommends. and which / feel
would be desirable. then ] believe
the dilemma can be solved With
out providing for educational
grants for private schooling
Would Avoid Mass SHIFT
The power Of assigning pu-
pills alone should be sufticientlyI
effective This would not
result IN any mass movement
Of Negro children into white
schools. In some localities itI
would result iii i few Negro stu
dents being assigned 10 whiteI
schools. In other localitiesl
there would Be no Negro stu
dents in white schools.
In addition to coming to the
same general conclusion as MI
Hoothe. Mr.. Dalton also raised al
new question Lii connection withl
the constitutional convention ex-I /
pected to be called BY the special
session Of the Assembly. The
convention would be limited tol
amending only one section of
the constitution that which
now prohibits the subsidizine Of |
private schooling
Why wouldn't this be d good
time TO remove the poll tax from
the constitution as 4 prerequi-l
site to voting IN Virginia (which
am certain Is the wish Of thel
majority Of our people2. Mr..
Dalton asked.
Meanwhile. Delegate Robert
Whitehead. the Rliti-organiza-
ton Democrat from Nelson
County, expressed il1isgfvingsI
that the Gray Commission planl
may undermine the public school
system BY allowing localities tol
adopt the Substitute plan oil
financial grants Tor private
enffnAIif10