94 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

limitations. I have to say this. It's come to my attention that the au-
thors of those stories were not even in the Ways and Means Committee
hearing where Dr. Cooper testified; and I would call upon these two
gentlemen — certainly I'm not accusing them of any bad faith — but I
would call upon them to please be a little more careful in how they
report these facts. Dr. Cooper assured me this morning that he did
not make that statement and he is available to refute it if asked.

The other thing I want to cover is the so-called designation of cer-
tain changes in executive salaries as fat pay raises. Now, the executive
salaries that have been revised are those that are not covered by the
standard salary board. The raises that were given to keep these people,
none of whom, incidentally, I appointed — all of whom are hold-
overs from the previous administration. To keep them in line with
the pay raise that's going to be proposed for State employees requires
even less in overall percentage than the employees are getting. The
employees' pay raise package equals out to over a ten percent increase,
eleven or so percent. The raises that we recommended amount to, on
the average, about ten percent. And this is only offered to keep these
people in the same relative position as the other people who have
received increases. Now, the ones that I handled before were ones
that became a matter of great necessity. Certainly nobody can quarrel
with the fact that the Department of Corrections, if it is to be revised
in the sense that we're talking about, will require a very substantial
increase. I don't think anyone could expect the Director of Public Im-
provements to continue at a figure such as the one he presently is paid
on the basis that his counterparts in the counties are already receiving
4 and 5 thousand dollars a year more than he is. These were attempts
to adjust inequities.

I want to make those points very clear. One final point. I was some-
what worried about putting money in for certain major repairs to
Government House, which is structurally in sad condition as far as
plumbing, heating and electrical wiring are concerned. The Fire
Marshal tells me that actually the Mansion is close to the point of
condemnation as far as being a hazard because of the old wiring.
And the 150 thousand dollars placed in the budget is principally desig-
nated for the restoration of the wiring under modern requirements,
replacing of plumbing and heating facilities which I assure you must
be replaced if this investment of all the people is to be maintained.
No repairs have taken place in Government House of any significance
for nearly twelve years and I think it's too great an investment to let
run into the ground. Now I throw myself open from that point.