Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-12-29
Kerr Scott Outlines
His Program For The
1949 Legislature

-Gvernor-Elect Kerr Scot,
who made a campaign pledge
to let in some fresh air" at
the top in state government, be-
ieves some office holders ought
to step out without being asked.
In an interview at his farm
home yesterday, Scott said he
doesn' intend to seek any resig-
nations Immediately after he
takes office, but:
There are some of them who
ought to resign after all the
things they said in the campaign
about my running the state if I
were elected. In other words,
if I was a skunk then, I'm one
now"
Without hesitation, Scott reel
ed off answers to numerous
questions about his intentions af-
ter his Inauguration Jan. 8. He
asserted:
/. He has in mind a reorgani-
zation of the state utilities COM
mission.
2. He will support in the
legislature a proposal for state
wide liquor referendum.
8. He will recommend higher
pay for teachers and other state
employees, and a $2,4OO mini
mum salary for eachers.
4. He favors increased appro-
priations for state hospitals and
mental institutions and is will
ing to face an increase in taxes
rather than 'let these services
60 deficient"
S. He will support legislation
to remove the sales tax on meals
served in public eating places.
6. He favors more assistance
for the needy.
i Z. He still thinks the
gag rule" Of the state house of
representatives should be killed.
8 He believes the present
Scott has asked to srsign on
should 60 ahead and appoint a
chief highway engineer to re-
place w. Vance Baise, who
Scot has asked to resign on
Jan. 8.
The utilities commission reor-
ganization he is considering,
Scot said, would mean en-
larging the commission, which
now has three members, and
adding to its staff more tech
nicians," with the aim Of getting
expanded utilities services to
rural areas.
Although favoring the $2,4OO
minimum salary for teachers,
he said he wasn't so sure about
maximum salaries they should
get.
Scott declared that some of
the present highway commits
sion were 'wasteful," and that
there was tendency to build
football roads, roads to real
estate developments and golf
courses"
A Chapel Hill-Durham boule-
ward for which Governor Cherry
recently allocated $50,000, Scott
said, was a football road"
Does he want the present
highway commissioners to re-
sign when he takes office or wait
until their terms expire May 1?
II think they've decided to
stay on" he replied. They
kept saying they were going to-
resign. Pm prepared for it if
they do. certainly want their
cooperation if they stay on. The
attitude of some Of them indica-
ted they're not willing to cooper
ate. That's not all of them.
That's just some Of them"
Even if the present commits
sion stays on, he said, he thinks
they should replace Chief Engi-
neer Baise at once.
II think the commission would
70 on and make a change so the
new man can get started" Scot
asserted. It would Just throw
the program behind" to wait
until May, he said.
He said he was still studying
possible methods of financ-
ing his rural road goal Of black
topping 10000 miles and treat
ing $500 more miles to make
them passable in all sorts OF
weather.
! Previously he had mentioned
; a possible gas tax increase, a
bond issue or a combination OF
the two.
If only a gas tax boost is
used, he said, a raise of five
cents a gallon would be needed.
A bond issue along, he declared,
Aonn mn m