Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-06
Stanley Hears
More Pleas for
Appropriations
70 State Agencies
List Needs After l9
Ask Budget Increase

Ask Budget Increase
RICHMOND. oct. s tR)s Gov.
Stanley and his budget advisers
returned to the State Senate
chamber here today to hear more
on what various State agencies
figure il viii cost to operate IN
the next biennium.
Twenty-nine agencies were
scheduled to present their budget
requests today. Nineteen did so
yesterday. asking for l9S6-5a APP
propriations totaling more than
q third -of-a-b billion dollars 500
million more than the appropria-
ton they received In the current
bienniunl.
Though nobody mentioned
higher taxes. testimony ON the
rising cost Of the State govern
ment implied demands on the
General Fund much higher than
present taxes will meet.
During their 9-to-5 hearing In
the Senate chamber yesterday,
the Governor and the budget
advisory group heard only one
agency ask for less money In
1868 than it received In 1854
56. The Senate Commission on
Local Debt asked for only $4,640
Ia cut of 1880.
Other Requests Heavy
But this bright spot was conn
pleteIy hlotted out by the enor-
nifty Of the other requests.
The State Department Of Edu-
cation submitted q budget rec
quest that would take q $780,
2o4. 504 chunk from the General
Fund-or SIS. AIS. 500 more than
in l954-56-toward q total two-l
year budget Of almost STAT mill
lion.
The state Health Department
asked for $l6,4s2, 1882 from the
General Fand--an increase Of
$4,514.857--toward an overall
budget Of $24.264.772.
The State Comptroller sought
an increase of s.. 0.212--about1
IS per cent-to an appropriation
Of $16.l96.052.
Biggest Of all the requested In
creases affecting the General
Fund was that by the State Sup
Elemental Retirement SYSTEM
which said It's 1868 needs
would be $l5.3l0.390, or $4,4i7,- p
SIS more than in the current
bienniurn. The new figure is 4o|
per cent larger than the old.
Highway Needs Cited
Outside the General Fund. the
State Highway Department SUBJ
nlittsd q budget request Of $685. \
$40, sos. based principally on
revenue from the present Scent
State gasoline tax. The High
way Department said 1t actually
could use $28 to $35 million more
to meet minimum highway needs.
This could be produced by a q
to Scent increase in the gas tax
State police, supported by the
gas tax and motor vehicle Ii
censing revenues. asked an in
crease OF 90. AS, 900 in total
budget Of $14.I69, 900.
These were the biggest Of the
budget requests, and in every
case the agencies cited higher
operating costs.
School officials said the big
increase asked In public school
appropriations stemmed almost
entirely from, an expected tre-I
mendous increase in school at
tendance In the next two years.
Other factors working toward
. higher school budget were
listed as q proposed $25 increase
in the amount Of basic State APP
preparations per teacher unit;
and pay raises necessary to
carry out Gov. SANKEY'S $2,400-
to-$3,600 teacher salary scale.
New Hospital Needed
. 4 4. III s u ! fal {.
State Health Commissioner
Mack !. Shanhoitz told the Gov
ernor and his advisers more than
50 million would be necessary toI
start operating the new EnnionI
@. Williams Hospital in Rich
mond for Negro tuberculosis
patients and $l,523, 900 in new
appropriations to aid local hos
pital construction under the Hill
Burton Act. These two factors
accounted for more than half
the total increase asked by the
Health Department.
Charles H. Smith, director Of
the retirement system which
covers State employees and
teachers. said the increase asked
for the system was unavoidable"
because Of the trend upward in
the number Of pay Of State en-
ployes.