Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-04
Fight
On School Plan
Opened by Foes
20 Reasons Given
For Virginiuns to
Vote No Monday
By ALEX r. PRESTON
Star STAFF Correspondent

| STAR 0Lau IOIIeSpOuueHt
RICHMOND, Jan. 4.-Op.
ponents of the Gray Commission
plan for State tuition grants fol
educating children in private
schools were on the offensive
today.
Headquarters for the anti.
amendment forces was distrib'
uting brochure listing q
Other Stories on Referendum PROPOSE
Pose B..
reasons why Virginians shoult
vote mo" in next Mondays ref.
erendum.
A former leader of anti
organization forces-Martin A
observation-disclosures with an.
other anti-organization Democrat
Delegate Robert Whitehead
by branding the Gray Commits
sion proposal as powerful fol
evil and utterly Intellectual fol-
good"
Vote Drawing Near
There was less than a weel
remaining before the crucia
vote when the opponents got
their arguments published ir
observation-disclosures form ane
ready for distribution.
On Monday Virginians will vot,
whether to authorize a constitu
tional convention. The conven
ton would amend a section which
now prohibits the spending o
public funds for educating chill
dren in private schools.
| The Gray Commission say
public tuition grants are essen
tial to its program for avoiding
compulsory attendance at int
grated public schools.
| Mr.. Whitehead. who is a like
Ily candidate for Governor in 1875
on a platform opposed to tn
dominant Byrd organization, ha
come out in favor of the tuition
Igrants proposal.
Mr.. Hutchinson. an ally o
lMr. Whitehead and a Democrat
candidate for the Senate agains
Senator Byrd in 1916, took tn
Iopposite view yesterday.
He said the tuition plan
transparency Illegal" He is [
lawyer.
Mr.. Hutchinson said he hat
mot the slightest doubt that TIL
Supreme Court will hold privat,
schools which receive public sup
port to be really public schools.
The anti-amendment literatuF,
was sent out under the name O
the Virginia Society for Preser
walton of Public Schools. Thi
group is headed by State Sen
Iator-elect Armistead L. Booth,
of Alexandria.
Z! Boothe's Objections
/ Among the objections raised tt
the referendum by Mr.. Boothe'
literature are these:
Tax money should not b.
used for any private schools. Blu
1t is unjust to distinguish be.
teween sectarian and nonsec.
tartan private schools. There ART
in Virginia today 80 privat,
schools run by the Episcopal
Catholic, Methodist and Baptis
churches, besides parochia
schools operated by Episcopa
and Catholic parishes. L
public funds are sent to non,
sectarian private schools which
are newly formed. with made,
lquate buildings, unqualified
teachers and no generalization
then in fairness public funds
should go to the students at tn,
better qualified sectariar
schools.
i The Gray Commission also
recommends adoption by tht
Legislature of an assignment
plan whereby students may b.
placed in specific schools fol
reasons other than race. Mr.
Boothe'S organization says:
THE assignment plan will
work. Let lis try it first. 1
it does work, we keep our public
schools intact adhere to ou
Southern traditions and ODE!
the law. If it does not work
we shall meanwhile conside
other advisable legislative &C
ton"
On the other hand, the So
ciety claims, 1.-The tuition gran
plan will not work. It will Civ,
us a Statewide incurable head
ache"
i Other Arguments
These were among other de.
velopments in the State:
The Norfolk Ministers Asso.
citation adopted a resolution
1913, opposing the amendment
as unworthy of the support Of
our citizens"
Seventy Virginia labor leader:
also took sides with the opposi'
ton, saying the powers which
could be surrendered next Mon
day would be difficult to limit
Ior recall" Their statement was
printed over the name, "Virginis
IAFL-CIO Committee on Preser.
walton of Public Free Schools If
Virginia"
On the amendment side
Attorney General j. Lindsay AL
mond. jr., told an Old Poin
Comfort audience that failure Il
approve the amendment woulc
bring "blackness and chaos"
At Harrisonburg. former Gov
!, Colgate w. Darden, jr.. repeated
his belief that the tuition gran
!; proposal would actually preserve
l. l. 4