Evening star., 1954-01-20
Stanley Inaugurated; ;
Asks Gasoline Tax
Boost in Virginia
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page.)
biggest surprise to many. After
winning a Democratic primary
campaign against State Senator
Charles r. Fenwick of Arlington
last summer. he went on to de-
feat Republican State Senator
Ted Dalton of Radford in the
general election.
In his campaign, Mr.. Stanley
opposed higher taxes and more
taxes. The new Governor this
afternoon recalled his campaign
pledge when he said:
During my campaign last
year. I made the following state
ment: I pledge myself in my
term of Office to preserve this
great system of highways so far
as it is within my ability to do
so =. my program. as I see it,
scan be financed without in
..creased taxation In subsequent
Statements I made it clear this
smeant no increase in the motor
fuel tax.
THAT was an honest opinion,
based upon information available
to me at that time. :. In recent
weeks, I have carefully re-ex-
amined our highway revenues.
and I am now convinced they are
inadequate to meet the. urgent
needs"
Gov. Stanley continued: "Un-
der these circumstances. I feel it
is my obligation to the people of
Virginia to set forth the facts
and to recommend positive action
for the preservation and fur
ther development of our highway
system. Therefore, I recon-
mend: Cd That we put an end to
any expenditures of highway
funds that can be claSsed as
diversions. and (2) that we in
crease the tax on motor fuels by
! cent per gallon"
Would Restrict Activities.
Some have considered use of
highway funds for maintenance
of State Police and the Division
of Motor Vehicles as diversion.
Gov. Stanley said, later in his
speech:
II shall insist that our State
patrolmen. while being paid from
highway funds, confine them
selves to policing the highways.
the duty for which they are en-
ployed. rather than diffusing
their time in general law en-
forcement activities"
Former Gov. Battle had pro-
vided an increase in the number
of State policemen in his budget.
Gov. Stanley declared. early in
his speech, "a casual glance at
the proposed budget shows
clearly that available revenues
are not sufficient to meet fully
every need during the new BIZ
ennium beginning July /.
Contrary to the experience OF
other recent administrations. We
will start the next biennlum
without the benefit of any sizable
surplus in our general fund. Our
fiscal authorities do not predict
any large increase in revenue
collections.
"It will be necessary. there
fore. for me to defer, until the
next regular session Of the Gen.
eral Assembly. some recommen-
dations which had hoped might
be adopted earlier. However. I
shall recommend during my term
as Governor the full program
outlined in my campaign"
Faster Teacher Raises.
OF teachers salaries. he said:
"The present salary scale Tor
teachers, with the collegiate
professional certificate. provides
minimum of $4,000. annual in
creases of $100. and maximum
of $4,000. to be reached in IL
years. My objective is to reach,
as quickly as funds can be made
available, a scale providing
beginning salary of $2.4OO. an
nual increases of $3.50, and a
maximum of $500, which
would be reached in eight years.
In initiating these improve
ments, 1 recommend an advance
in the maximum salary to $3.400
in the coming school year and to
$4,000 in the succeeding year.
I recommend an advance in the
starting salary to 81, 100 in 1854
1865, and then in successive
years to $4,000, $4,000 and
S2,4OO.
THE present scale for teach
ers with normal professional
certificates is $1.800-$3. 900. I
recommend that this scales
minimum be increased to $4,000
and the maximum to 5000.
with annual increases OF $3.50
until the maximum is reached"
Cites Route 1 Deaths.
Urging more highway safety,
the new Governor used road
ways close to Washington as an
example:
Route l." he said. sis a four
lane undivided highway with no
control of access. The Shirley
Highway. which parallels Route l
in Northern Virginia, is a
modern, four-lane divided high
way, with full control of access.
Both are travelled by about the
same number of vehicles a day
During the period of study, four
times as many people were
killed on the same length of
Route l as there were on the
parallel section Of the Shirley
Highway"
r