Evening star., 1953-11-09
Newly Elected
Group Visits
institutions
Virginia Delegates
Begin Tour of
State Facilities
BY Alex R. Preston
SfoF Sfoff Correspondent

In less than a week after their
election new members of the
Virginia General Assembly today
began preparing themselves for
legislative problems by a per-
sonal inspection of State-sup-
ported institutions.
Four Negro facilities were on
the first days agenda-an insti-
tuition of higher learning, two
mental institutions and a cor
rectional farm.
The inspections, which will
run through Thursday this week
and continue for five days next
week, are an innovation for the
General Assembly, oldest legis-
lative body in continuous exist
ence.
E. Blackburn Moore of Berry
vile, Speaker of the House Of
Delegates. originated the idea
and the last Legislature approved
it. He saw the inspection tours
as a means of getting freshmen
legislators acquainted with the
States operations outside Of
Richmond.
Dalton With Group.
There were a handful of older
members in the group of about
80, including State Senator Ted
Dalton, who has been a legisla-
tor for 10 years. Mr.. Dalton. a
Republican, was defeated by
Democrat Thomas B. Stanley for
Governor last Tuesday.
Among those participating in
today's tour are four members
of the House of Delegates from
the Washington area who will
take Office in January. They are
Harrison Mann and Mrs. Kathryn
Stone of Arlington and John c.
Webb and Omer L. Hirst Of
Fairfax.
Others making the trip in
cluded Delegates-elect E. G.
Compton of Albemarle and
Greene Counties and Charles w.
Wampler, jr.. of Harrisonburg
and Rockingham County.
Some idea of the magnitude
If the problems confronting them
was indicated by the fact that
the four institutions to be visited
today, out of more than 80
throughout the Commonwealth.
have presented budget requests
amounting to about $23 million
over what they are getting in the
budget for the current biennium.
See $7OO Million Budget.
Gov. Battle, Gov. -elect Stanley
and their fiscal advisers now are
wrestling with a budget expected
to total more than $700 million
for presentation to the General
Assembly in January.
The future lawmakers left their
hotel rooms at an early hour this
morning and convened in the old
Senate chamber of the State
Capitol in Richmond for a brief
ing by Budget Director j. H.
Bradford.
Then they motored here for
their first stop at Virginia State
College. This is to Negroes what
the University of Virginia at
Charlottesville is to whites.
The college has asked for a
capital outlay increase of from
$158, ZOO during the current bien-
mum to $10.121 900 for the 1854
Sc budget period. 1t has asked
that it's operation allowance be
raised from $2,469,0 900 to $2,-
$4,000.
DR.. Robert P. Daniel. president
of the college, says new buildings
are needed so the college may
have the minimum essential for
equality of educational opportu-
mites" for Negroes.
Ndh NCCC CVduudLuSs
DR.. Daniel said the college
cannot now meet minimum
standard requirements for Ii
brary, science. music, art, ROTC
training and physical education.
Next scheduled was Central
State Hospital for Negroes here,
where r. E. Skinner, the steward,
says increased budget funds
would amount to about $3.50 per
day per patient. The operating
budget request would jump from
$5,706,000 at present to $10.396.-
100 for the next two years if the
request were granted. A capital
outlay program would exceed
the current amount of 5000, 900
by about $2.1 million. The hos
pital, with a normal capacity Of
1921 beds, now has about 4,300
patients.
At Petersburg State Colony
for feeble minded Negro children,
$3.7 million is being sought to
speed up its transfer to Henrico
County to relieve conditions both
within the colony and at Cen
trail State Hospital. About SILL
600 more is sought for operations
over the present $477, 400.
To Visit Prison Farm.
Last on today's schedule was a
visit late in the afternoon at
Southampton Penitentiary Farm
at Capron, where a 16 per cent
increase in operating expenses Is
sought. The new figure would be
$702, 300. Funds for capital OUT
lays amount to $1,940, 700 under
the budget. Requests compared
with SCI 500 allowed in the cur.
rent budget.
The Norfolk branch of Virginia
State College is not included in
the tour but DR.. Daniel asked for
$7.5 million for new buildings
and improvements.
These budget requests for. Ne
gro educational facilities served
as a reminder to lawmakers that
they may be confronted with an
other racial problem after they
are sworn in. The United States
Supreme Court now has pending
five cases-one involving Vir-
ginia-challenging segregation
in the rtIhlic schools A ruling