Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-06

Because of the large crowd
hall of the House of Delegates,
Capitol. Each side will be giveI
The announcement came f
House Privileges and Elections
Committee after comforting with
Chairman Garland Gray of the
identical Senate group. 1t will
be joint hearing.
PTA Sends Letters
Mr.. Davis made the disclosure
as letters reached all members
Of the Legislature giving as
surances that mo program of in
tegration will be initiated in Ar
lington until a Statewide policy
and program have been devel-
oped by the General Assembly"
The letters came from the
Arlington County Council of
Parent Teacher Associations and
had been approved by all five
members of the School Board.
Delegate Frank P. Moncure
of Stafford introduced his re-
pealer bill last Monday after the
Arlington board had announced
earlier that it planned to inte-
crate about so Negroes in Is
elementary schools in Septem-
Der. If State law allows.
Members of the Gray Com
mission, who drafted a plan to
avoid forced indignation. said
this policy violates the program
they have offered. The Gray
plan would place the initiative
on parents to start indignation
moves whereas the school board
took the initiative ';prematureIy"
a number of legislators contend.
Sees Misinterpretation
The PTA said it was disturbed
over IAN unfortunate interpre-
tation" placed on the Arlington
School Boards tentative integra-
ton plans.
The PTA letter quotes this
general statement of policy of
the Arlington School Board:
The Arlington public schools,
as a lewiston Of the public school
system of Virginia. will comply
with any action taken by the
State legislature"
A letter from Southwest Vir-
ginia, meanwhile, branded the
Moncure bill as IAN outrage
and a perverse act of retaliation
against community that
fought so vigorously and sue
cessfully to bring their schools
back to the people"
This statement was included
among thousands of letters
which have been received by
legislators.
A random check with law
makers from all over the State
indicates that proponents Of the
bill-that is those favoring re-
peal of the school board law
far outnumber those in favor of
the elected system.
Smyth County Protest
The statement branding Mr..
Moncure's action an outrage was
included in a letter from the
Smyth County Citizens Com
mittee for Better Schools at
Marion, in far southwest Vir-
ginia, more than $50 miles from
Arlington. The letter, sent to
all members of the legislature,
went on to say:
"Perverse human ingenuity
could hardly have proposed a
more pernicious legislative bill for
destroying an elected and child
conscious school board which. in
a short span of time, and with
the support of their local citizens,
has constructed many new
schools and established one of
the most progressive school ad-
ministrations in our State"
Mr.. Moncure estimated he had
about 100 unopened letters from
Arlington this morning. Over the
week end recess he opened sew
eral hundred letters and found
the writer's about 20-to-1 in favor
Of his measure, he said.
BOatwright Reports
Delegate John Boatwright, of
Buckingham, who also has spon-
sored legislation hitting at Ar
lington. said he had not kept
count but that those favoring
the Moncure bill "far outnumber"
the opponents.
Senator Stuart B. Carter of
Fincastle, near Roanoke, is an
other Southwest Virginian who
reported heaps Of mail from Arl-
lngton.
MY wastebasket is filled with
them," he said. Il think 1t (the