partment of Health and the Department of Mental Hygiene for the
good health of the people. The Department of Health, with its ad-
ditional funds, will broaden its activities to meet the essential services
required by the growth in population, advances in laboratory and
medical research and the increased professional and public awareness
of health hazards in our rapidly changing environment. The paradox
of a declining patient population in our mental hospitals and a new
record high of admissions in these hospitals continues, reflecting a
continued improvement in the treatment and discharge of patients
under treatment for mental illness.

funds are being made available to the Department of Mental
Hygiene to increase further the caliber and the tempo of treatment
and to enable the hospitals to meet the increasing demand for ad-
missions. Mental retardation is one of the most vexing of our health
problems, and in both the operational budget and the capital budget
funds have been included to provide better care and treatment of
the victims of this sad affliction.

PUBLIC WELFARE

No civilized society would neglect its poor, its homeless, its orphans,
its handicapped, and so Maryland next year, on the basis of an ever-
increasing demand, will provide substantial increases in funds for
the operation of its program of public welfare. So much for the vital
services of education, health and welfare. Let us turn now to other
governmental endeavors.

HIGHWAYS

We are proud of the system of highways we have developed in
Maryland, and any sound planning for the future of our State must
include a broadened program for building more and better roads.
Last year we experienced an unparalleled growth in highway con-
struction. During 1964 payments to road contractors totaled $70, 983, -
534, an increase of some 65 per cent over the previous year. This
figure represents more construction in a single year than ever before
in the history of our State. Presently under construction or rehabilita-
tion are 194 miles of highway. When this is completed, it will mean
that 1, 267 miles of highways have been built or rehabilitated in
Maryland since I took office in January, 1959. The budget which I
have presented to you provides for funds necessary to carry on the
mammoth six-year road construction program which was started
last year.

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