Evening star., 1949-02-28
"Virginia Surplus" Issue

"Virginia Surplus" Issue
To the Editor of The Star:
1t would appear from your editorial on
Virginia Surplus that you have not read
the report on which you glibly pirate.
You say the surplus is based on anticipated
revenues and is, in fact, not surplus. How
ever from the report gather that there is
an actual surplus of over $1,000, ,000-and
an additional $34 900 unexpended bal
ance in the General Fund reappropriated
for capital outlay-i.e. hospitals, jails ETC..
in 1948-50 fiscal years. This leaves a balance
of $23 200 900 In, new capital outlay appro-
priations and $22,100000 in condtionaly
appropriated capital outlay items
All this adds up to nearly 900 on
hand and only $45 300, 900 to be raised from
anticipated revenue.
Next, in the II years proceeding the 1948-
so biennium. the State of Virginia has eX-
pended for capital outlay total of only
$27. $50 ,500-an average of $5,023.728 per
two-year period. And in only one biennium
Q939-40) have the capital outlay expendi-
lures been as much as $10,000000.
Can it be that you-or any one who ac-
tually reads the report-can believe that
with an average biennial expenditure Of
only IS 100000 the State of Virginia is going
to spend $7s5OO,oOO during 1s485O?
Granted that hospitals are important and
jails, aren't children even more important?
If children fail, then those jails will be much
more important and much more necessary.
Finally, although I am new resident of
Virginia, am going to ask and ask until
find why it is that the capital outlay carry
over and appropriations grow larger and
larger each year. 1t looks like graft to me.
Could be I'm wrong; but
w. E. LEWIS.
Ed;+or,S Mote.
Virginia does not have an actual surplus
of $4,000, ,OO0 This sum is included in the
conditional appropriations of slightly more
than $22 900, 900, which means the State
must take in at least $17,000000 in new
revenue before there can be any actual sur
plus OF course Virginia is not going to
spend $79.500.000 for capital improvements
during 1948-5O. The only question is whether
these funds are to be spent over period of
years for the purposes for which they have
been appropriated or diverted to long-term
loans to counties for school construction.
Excoriates Union Procedures
To the Editor of The Star:
Several days ago I read with interest the
comments of one of your readers on the
closed shop. 1t seems to me that 1t is high
time that more of us, the general pubic.
who pay the bill for unioniSm as 1t exists
today, should speak out and let others as
we'll as our own congressman know how we
feel about the labor situation. 1t is admit
ted initially that we will get little relief
unless we support men in Congress who
have the honesty to decide what is best for
the Nation as a whole and the courage to
vote accordingly.
We read from day to day that the coun-
try needs spiritual awakening or moral up
lift And what has been one of the largest
factors contributing to the world deca-
dence? The labor unions The unions, aided
and abetted by our laws and Government
agencies have contributed in many ways.
I will mention but few.
The unions have developed the closed
shop, the most un-American feature of our
whole industrial set-up. Labor leaders claim
that the closed shop with its attendant evils
is absolutely necessary and. of course, it is
for them, since it is the basis of their power
and the source of their funds. But what
does the closed shop really do? 1t puts a
premium on shiftlessness, laziness and lnef-
ficency 1t STILES ambition and the desire
to do better work. 1t results in sloWdoWns,
retarded production and a general medi-
ocrity of working habits. 1t compelS large
numbers of working men to pay fees to be-
long to organizations which they don't want
to join and which become drain on their
incomes for the remainder of their working
lives. 1t enables unions Tresponslbly 10