Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-07
Bill Would Aid
Acquisition. Of
Public Buildings
BY ALEX r.. PRESTON
Star Stan Correspondent

purchase plan for Arlington
similar to the Federal Govern
ment's program for acquiring
large installations without Inc
creasing the public debt, was be-
fore the General Assembly today.
| The county-like the Federal
Government-would be able to
contract for construction and
lease Of buildings and property
for periods up to Is years, after
which ownership would pass to
THE county.
An essential difference is this:
Before Arlington could enter into
such contracts. the voters first
would have to approve each
project by referendum.
The Arlington County Board
asked for authority to adopt the
Ilease-purchase plan. After study
ing the request, however, the
county's legislative delegation
concluded it would violate the
State Constitution unless the
referendum feature were added.
Control Bonded Debt
Counties. for example, are
prohibited from mourning bonded
Indebtedness without approval OF
the voters. That is why Airing.
ton is holding a referendum on
February 81 on whether to issue
l$9.4 million in school construc-
ition bonds.
| Delegate Kathryn Stone was
chief patron of the measure, CO.
sponsored by the rest of the Ar
Ilington delegation in the House.
| Mrs. Stone also was the chief
sponsor of a bill to authorize
counties and cities to establish
joint regional detention facilities
for juveniles.
A series of articles in The
Washington Star last year dis
closed that youngsters awaiting
Juvenile court hearings or being
held for State institutions had
to be kept in jails with hardened
criminals in many instances.
Arlington has partially met the
problem by setting aside the
former quarters of its jailer In q
wing of the jail, for detention Of
juveniles.
! Arlington Senator Charles r.
IFenwick offered another piece OF
regional legislation. 1t would APP
Ipropriate SIS 900 from the State
toward the salaries of regional
planning commissions. Northern
Virginia has one of five such
planning agencies in Virginia.
Fairfax Delegate Omer L. Hirst
Joined Richmond Delegate Ed
ward E. Lane or a bill to in
crease membership on the State
Highway Commission from eight
| to 10. .s.-
/ Could Sell Parks
Other legislation introduced
yesterday included:
| BY Senator Charles T. Moses
of Appomattox, to- authorize the
State to dispose of its public
parks by public and private
sale" A 1852 law authorized
the lease or sale of the parks,
but Mr.. Moses said he is not
sure the law is clear on this
point. Federal Judge Walter
Hoffman of Norfolk last year
ruled the State must admit Me-
groes to Seashore State Park
near Virginia Beach. The State
failed to open that park last
season.
The Moses bill would apply to
any park where conditions ex-
list which appear likely to cause
a decline in revenues or tend
to a breach of the peace"
BY Senator Armistead L.
Boothe of Alexandria and Mr..
Fenwick. to authorize the State
Highway Commission to permit
diversified buses on certain high
ways. ~
/ BY Senator George Warren of
Bristol, to make it a felony for
fathers who have been ordered
to support their families to seek
evasion by leaving the State.
Among measures approved by
the House and sent to the Senate
was a resolution by Mr.. Mann
to authorize the University OF
Virginia to establish a branch
in Northern Virginia. 1t would
be an institution Offering two
years Of college work and would
be limited to Institutional facili-
ties-that is, no dormitories to
compete with the university at
Charlottesville.
Annual Sessions Urged
The Assembly received a num-
Der of other new proposals
including resolution calling for
a constitutional amendment to
require the Assembly to meet
annually instead of every two
years as is the present law.
| 1t also received a bill to raise
the lay of assemblymen when
next elected from 81 1880 to 81, 500
year.
The House yesterday passed
by an 80 to 8 vote the bill lifting
the maximum individual loan by
small loan companies from $500
to 5000. The 21a per cent a
month interest rate continues on
the first $500 but the interest
rate would be limited to ~, per
cent on all in excess of $500. The
bill now goes to the Senate.
House support doomed for q
proposal by DR.. w. c. Elliott Of
Russell County to put a scents
per bottle tax on hard liquor to
finance a So million alcoholic
rehabilitation program in Vir-
ginia. The bill already has been
signed by more than half of the
100-member House and DR.. Eli
Iliott said he would drop 1t in to-
morrow. DR.. Elliott failed in q
try for similar legislation in 1854.