Evening journal., 1889-04-03
AFTER THE TURNPlkES.
A Letter From DR.. Pratt on
the Beneficial Society Bill.
TAXING ALL INVESTMENTS.

Representative Eclxles After the Tele-
phone Companies-TheS school Book Ac-
appointments by the Governor.
staff correspondence Of EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER, April 2.-Senator Crossan is
after the Wilmington and Christiana
turnpike Several weeks ago ne gave
notice Of an act TO revoke the charter of
the company Since that time he has
ascertained that the charter Of the com
pany was granted in 1906, prior to the
constitution of 1881, and under the con
stitution of 1897, most of the charters
granted were perpetual and therefore
the Legislature has not the power of
revocation. The Senator proposes, how
over, to make the turnpike people live up
TO their charter, and accordingly to-day
he secured the passage of the following
Joint resolution through the Senate:
ssWhereas, Under an act to incorporate a
company for making an artificial turn
pike road from the borough of Whining
ton to the village Of Christiana IN New
Castle county, passed at Dover January
30, 1915, it is made the duty Of the com
pany SO incorporated to erect posts at the
intersection Of every road falling
infe and leading out of the
and index hands pointing to the direction
of such road. and showing the name of
the town or place TO which said road
leads, and the distance thereof in meas
ured or computed miles; and it is also
made the duty of said company to affix
on the toll gates a board containing a
list Of rates of tolls, painted In legible
characters, and IL is further made the
duty of the president and managers Of
the said company to lay before the Gen
eral Assembly of this state At the end of
every ten years after said road was COM
pleted an abstract Of their accounts,
showing the whole amount of their CAPT
tai and Of the income and profits arising
from the tolls received, together with an
abstract of the costs and charges Of keep
ing said road in repair, etc. to the end
that the clear income and profits thereof
may be ascertained and known, and
whereas the said company has wholly
disregarded the above mentioned provis-
ions, and for many years past has failed
and neglected to carry out the require
ments of its charter, as above specified,
therefore be it;
Resolved, BY the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the state of Delaware
in General Assembly met, that the said
ne IttSiQtuls anu NNAARH y
of the Wilmington and Christiana turn
pike road, be and the same are hereby
requested to submit TO the present Gen
eral Assembly an abstract of their &C
counts as is provided in section 20, chap
ter As. volume g. Laws of Delaware, ano
further. that a copy Of this resolution and
preamble duly attested by the clerks Of
the Senate and House. be sent to the pres
fdent Of said company II is also alleged
against the company that they have not
kept the road in good repair, and thai
they have Disseminated against certain
parties In the imposition Of tolls.
TAXING BENEFICIAL. SOCIETIES.
1t wac never intended by the parties
introducing the act amending the aci
in relation to granting charters by tn
courts limiting the amount Of insurance
50 $500 that beneficial societies should b,
allowed to 60 to affect In any way any
secret organization. The following lette
from Ex-insurance Commissioner Pratt
explains itself
MILFORD, Delaware.
H0E. T. ARMSTRONG,
Ny DEAR SIR Your favor caml
20 hand last evening and / will say with
reference to the bill supplementary th,
act Of 1888, that it is only intended (an'
/ think no other construction can b.
placed upon it) to apply to charters
by the court and as you say to head Of
those who get charters under the genera
law for one purpose and use II fol
another two organizations Of that kin'
are operating in Wilmington at thi
time. and are to all intents and purpos'
insurance companies. doing insurane
business for the benefit of those VIII
manage them only. Such is the INA
tional Security Union" and the "Girar
Mutual Aid. both acting under charter
granted by the court, and doing bus
ness never dreamed Of or contemplate
bv the charters or the court. 1t is probl
Bile that interested persons may hay
stirred up the secret organizations,
making them believe the bill is a bio
at them. Such is not the intention.
would like to come up TO Dover and me
some of the gentlemen who are opposiI
it, but Just now ! have two very si'
patients. I will endeavor TO see you son
day this week from 8 80 TO 10 a. m.
You can give me the time, it may be
Friday or earlier. Very truly yours,
NATHAN PRATT.
SCHOOL BOOK ACCOUNT.
The committee to investigate I
school book accounts had another me-
ing to-day Ex-Assistant SuperintendS
Carpenter and County Superintendel
Handy aud Bessey were before the co
mittee. The committee was in sess
nearly the entire day and succeedea
reducing the discrepancy to about s.
and is thought that another session
the committee viii satisfactorily expl
this amount. About the only thing I
has been proven by the investigation
that the state is out $40, 600 By its enga
ing III the book business. This sum
been lost by clerks Of the school distri
not paying up. insolvent depositor
depreciation in values aud the closing
of the stock on hand There has b
some very poor bookkeeping in the otfic
the superintendent or the question wo
never have arisen. Another meeting
the committee will be held on Thurs
next, and Sussex Superintendent w
viii be on hand and give his testimo
The investigation viii no doubt result
the exoneration of both Ex- -Superinte
ent Williams and Elk Assistant Supe
tendent Carpenter. No one who KIN
either Of these gentlemen ever belle
that there were anything improper
their accounts.
TAXING TELEPHONE COMPANIES.
Representative Eckles introduced
act to day taxing telephone compa
doing business in the state $40, 600.
bill provides that every telephone c
pany doing or carrying on business "
in this state shall be liable to taxat
Lmr1 a