Evening star., 1954-01-10
Budget Ready,
baft|eCites
Fund Demand
Greatest He's Seen,
Governor Says in
Briefine Newsmen
By Alex R. Preston
Stor StoH cesrespondent

BY Alex K. Preston
Stor Stoff censspendsnt
RICHMOND, Jan. Gov.
Battle today gave reporters of.
the-record details of the budget
he will submit to the General
Assembly after it convenes its
biennial session Wednesday.
II don't think" he told more
than 100 representatives of news
papers in Virginia and the Dis
trict, "I've seen the time when
the pressure has been stronger
there are great needs for the
States services. I think we have
met the needs as best we could
within the financial structure Of
the State"
Gov. Battle will be succeeded
on January 20 by 63-year-old
Thomas B. Stanley, a member of
the House of Representatives
from Virginia's 5th district until
he resigned last year.
The outgoing governors budget
message will go to the Assembly
on January 18.
Gives Data in Confidence.
In Stressing the confidential
nature of the information he
handed reporters and radiomen
today. Gov. Battle said If the in
formation leaked out, 1T would
deprive me of the pleasure of
dropping the budget in the seats
OF the General Assembly and
then running away"
Gov.-elect Stanley also sat in
on the news conference. He re-
fused to be drawn into a dis
cussion of any of the details
OF the Battle budget. He in
dicated, however, that there
might be some variations in the
recommendations he would make
in his inaugural address.
One Of the major issues pre-
dicted to come before the Legis-
lature during its 60-day session
is repeal of the so-called Byrd
automatic income tax reduction
law.
More than half of the legisla-
tors who answered a Richmond
News-Leader QUESTIONABLE in
dicated they were in favor of
repeating the act. The law,
sponsored by State Senator
Harry F. Byrd. jr., of Winchester,
has reduced by some $40 million
the amount taxpayers have been
billed during the last three years.
Ignores Repeal Bid.
Newsmen wanted to know if
Gov. Battle had compiled his
budget figures on the basis of
what the State would receive
with the Byrd act or on the
basis of what it would receive
if the law is repealed.
Gov. Battle, a member of the
conservative clique, said: Il can
not assume there will be any
change in the law as it exists"
Already the 140 members OF
the House and Senate have had
enough legislative proposals flung
at them by study commissions to
assure them some tortuous
times.
In addition to these and the
hundreds of their own proposals,
the lawmakers will receive a
program from incoming Gov.
Stanley. Along with this, they
will have to approve the expendi-
lures of some $500 million to
keep the Commonwealth and it's
various departments. agencies
and institutions in business for
another two years.
Stanley Program.
| Mr.. Stanley will set forth his
program in his inaugural ad-
dress-a program he has said
will call for a continuation of
the conservative governmental
policies carried out by an un-
broken line of Democratic gov
ernors. Mr.. Stanley pledged
more money for school teachers
and mental hospital patient care
as part Of his election platform,
The legislative wrangles here
may develop only on the amounts
of the increases.
In the legislative realm, the
Virginia Advisory Legislative
Council-the study arm of the
Assembly-has come up with a
score of recommendations. These
cover a broad field ranging from
highway policy to cattle rustling.
And from a special study group
the Marr Commission-the As
sembly has a proposal to tax
trucks on weight-distance for
mula that should touch off a
renewal of the squabble between
the legislative friends of the
railroads and those who look
kindly on trucking interests.
The VALC itself reported on
highway problems and offered
suggestions which should get
comprehensive treatment in COM
mittee hearings and floor debate.
The council has called for lin
tied construction of toll roads
by special State-created authori-
ties with each project to be in
dependent of the others. It also
pondered the need for more rev.
enue for major highways but
deadlocked S to S on a subcom-
mittee recommendation that the
States Scent gasoline tax be
boosted by a penny a gallon.
The VALC, as well as a num-
Der of individuals, said the State
should be ready to take over the
2-cents-a-gallon tax the Federal
Government levieS on gasoline
if the Washington Government
decides to get out of this field.