, 1955-02-10
JOURNAL
THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST LEGISLATURE
OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
First Regular Session
N ANUAR 10. 1855
Continued from yesterday
RECOVERING AT 800 r. M.
10 u R AL
REcoNVENING AZ BOO 2. w.

~REcoNvENING AT 300 r. M.
At 800 o'clock pm. The President called the meeting
to order and presented to the Legislature the Governor Of
the Virgin Islands. The Governor addressed the Legislature
as follows:
Good Evening, Honorable Members Of the Legislature of
The Virgin Islands:
Tonight, i am happy to participate with you in q great
and historic occasion, for on this day, the people OF the Wiz
pin Islands commence the operation Of their government I'M
der the revised Organic Act | am here IN my capacity as
Head Of the Executive Branch Of the Government, to deliver
my message on the state Of the government and Of the peopl9
and to transmit to you the budget proposals Of the new gov
ernment.
The financial outlook for the government appears high
" encouraging. The estimated revenues Of the Virgin Islands
are such, as to lead us to believe that we can safely propose
General Fund operating expenditures, for the period Janua
il, 1865 to June 80, 1855, amounting to $~1,865975 and for the
fiscal year 1866 astotal of $290l,219. Matching funds, antiei-
pated from the Federal Government, in accordance with the
provisions Of the revised Organic Act, have been budgeted
Is provide for operating expenditures totalling $697,169 for
the period January / to June 80, 1855, and $2,037,169 for the
fiscal year 1856. Instructions from the United States Depart
ment Of Interior advise US that no allotment Of matching
funds will be made Until estimated General Fund revenues
have been budgeted and appropriated.
During the months in which / have been privileged to
serve as Governor Of the Virgin Islands,, have visited re-
peatedly every part Of the Islands and have consulted with
the people themselves, with the leaders in the various com
mlnities, an dwith you, the elected representatives of tie
people, and I have used my background and training as an
an engineer in my sincere efforts to understand the basic
problems which beset the people and the government Of the
Virgin Islands. I trust that the budget proposals which /
transmit to you this evening will in some measure demon
strate to you the progress which we have made as a result
of these efforts.
HMW
Health, education, and welfare are three Of the prime
interests Of mankind everywhere, and here in the Virgin Is
lands these three functions, form a major share of the Gov
ernments budget and activities. Connected with these pro-
grams are the related services Of water, sewage disposal,
housing, public utilities and the general services rendered by
public works. I have attempted to reflect my deep concern
in these fields by the specific proposals in the budget mes
sage, and I am hopeful that the care with which this has
been done, will commend these proposals to you, and that
you may join with the Executive in a cooperative effort to
improve the services Of Our government in each Of these
areas. The General Fund budget includes funds for a modest
increase in public assistance. Although it is a small monthly
increase, it is indicative of our concern over the low monthly
stipend which our public assistance program now affords,
and we trust that this will mark only the beginning Of
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