Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-17
BY ALEX r. PRESTON
n.aR stan Writer

n RTCHMoND. April IA
focal pupil assignment plan
headed for a test vote in the
state Senate this afternoon.
After converting at noon. the
Senate quickly recessed until
3 pm. to give opposing forces
deadlocked on the issue addi-
tional time to try to work out
q compromise.
An indication Of the division
between massive resistance
forces and supporters Of a more
moderate Perrow Commission
plan was reflected in a vote
by which the House passed the
pupil assignment bill yesterday
The vote was SO to 46.
In the Senate, the division
was reported as 10 to 10 until
yesterday, when administration
leaders flew in a member who
recently underwent major sur
gerry. His arrival bolstered sup
port for the Perrow Commits
sion bill. The 40th member of
the Senate is on a tour Of
Europe.
An identical pupil placement
bill was killed by the Senate
Education Committee. 9 to q.
Tuesday.
Alternatives for Action
With prospects Of the House.
passed bill going to the same
committee controlled by the
firm segregationists. these
alternatives we're among
maneuvers planned by the
''moderates" when the pupil
placement legislation came over
from the House today:
/. Discharge the Education
Committee from further con-
sideration of the bill. This
could be taken as personal
affront by committee men,
bers.
2. A motion to resolve the
entire Senate into a committee
Of the whole at the moment
the bill is reported from the
House and before 1t. Gov. A.
E S. Stephens-the Senate's
presiding ofilcer-assigns it to
the Education Committee. This
obvious short-circuiting move
undoubtedly would wound the
feelings of some committee
members for the same reasons
as a motion to discharge.
3. A motion, supported by
the hairline majority, to refer
the bill to friendly" COM
mittee instead of the Commit
tee on Education. This probably
would be the Senate Courts of
Justice Committee where Per-
row Commission hackers hold
q 9-to-7 edge.
Newest Suggestion
The latter alternative was
the most recent suggestion of
a means of assuring that the
bill would come to the floor
for a critical vote.
The legislation would restore
to local school boards the
power to assign pupils to spe-
cif1c schools, for reasons speci-
fed by the State Board of Ed
ucation. The local boards could
supplement the criteria but APP
peals would be allowed to a
new flve-member State Place.
ment Board of Appeals. Any
county or city could exempt
itself from the new law and
fall back on the present law.
In addition, the bill would
allow the parents of five chill
dren to object to the assign
ment of any pupil-by implica-
ton a Negro into q white
School-which the present law
does not provide.
Under existing law which
massive resistance hackers con-
tend is sufficient, a three -nian
State Pupil Placement Board
is charged with assigning all
children seeking transfer from
one school to another.
Against Doctors Orders
State Senator Stuart B,
Carter of Fincastle, a sup
porter of the Perrow commits
sion, few here yesterday fol-
lowing recent stomach ulcer
operation. He said he left his
home where he was recupera-
ting against his doctors
orders.
His arrival made a tie vote
unlikely. The Lieutenant Gov
ernor, who is not member
of the Senate but who pre-.
sides over that body, can voiS
only in the event of a tie. He
could not vote under any con.
ditions. he said, if the Senate
resolved itself into a committed
of the whole.
The placement bill had beer
debated on the House floor fol-
four hours Wednesday. Only
q half-hour talk preceded it,
passage by the House yester,
day.
Delegate Inez Baker o.
Portsmouth said:
1.-The bill, even with it
amendments, legalizes the very
act assignment by local schoo
boardS) we Virqinians haVt