You will observe that apart from these requirements for salary
adjustments, 90. 2 per cent of the general fund increase is applied to
those areas of human needs, comprising education, health, welfare
and correction. Education alone accounts for 53. 8 per cent of the
entire general fund budget. This extraordinary effort in the field
of education I believe to be in accordance with the wishes of the
people of this state that our young people be afforded the best pos-
sible opportunities to develop their minds and their skills. I am
recommending for public education a total allowance, in all funds,
of $185, 343, 986, which is $13, 531, 222 more than was appropriated
for this year.

The increase I feel is needed to maintain the present high stand-
ards under which our state enjoys a high ranking in the amounts it
pays its staff and teachers and in the amount it spends for each pupil
in school. The $6, 413 average we pay our instructional staff is $473
more than the national average and gives it a ranking of eighth
among the 50 states. The $6, 168 average for classroom teachers is
$433 above the national average, and places Maryland ninth in
ranking among the states. By spending $469 per pupil, $37 above the
national average, our state ranks eleventh among the states of the
union in per-pupil expenditures. It goes without saying that increased
enrollments, together with a general broadening of the educational
program, accounts for a sizable portion of the increase in expenditures
for education.

With similar factors involved, you will note my recommendation
for comparable increases for the support of the University of Mary-
land, Morgan State College and our State Teachers Colleges. I am
suggesting that $39, 313, 115 be allotted the University of Maryland,
an increase of $3, 379, 149 over the appropriation for this year. For
the most part, these additional funds will be used to increase the
teaching and professional staff, to revise the faculty pay scale and
to defray the cost of maintaining the expanded physical plant. For
the Teachers Colleges, I am recommending $6, 403, 450, an increase
of $894, 046, and for Morgan State College, $3, 606, 352, an increase
of $492, 169. The budget I am proposing to you includes an allowance
of $703, 181 for an adjustment in faculty salaries at the Instructor and
Assistant Professor ranks at the University, Morgan and the five
Teachers Colleges, This change provides a $500 increase in base
salaries and a $50 increment for Assistant Professors. At the Uni-
versity, it allows an extension in the number of increments for
Assistant Professor from five to ten.