Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-03-30
Reposes in a Senatorial
M Sepulchre.
REVISION OF THE SCHOOL LAWS
Superintendents Handy and
Gray on the Subject.
Bilverbrook Again Under Discussions
Other Matters.

4 this morning to persuade his branch to
Il ffollow the lead of the House in holding
4 &1norninE sessions only. He fell short, but
mot very short. The vote was.
" Ayes-Lacev Ross, Watson-3.
\ vi Noes--liouston, Piling, Pyle, Rccords-i.
+ Not voting-McMullen
n Il Representative Armstrong is happy
kman. He got his peach yellows bill
through this morning, with the aid, too,
Epf four Sussex votes. The bill repeals the
Epct of 1891 so far as it relates to Kent
fcounty. The first peach ycllows act was
{passed in 1889. 1t will be remembered that
ffhe object OF that act was to check the
EAonthward march of the disease by re-
.qniring every affected tree in lower Kent
NJ Anu Sussex counties to be rooted out and
I Ndestroyed. The effect of this was to inter-
4pose Mispllion, Milford and u slice of
II Houth Murderkill hundreds, Kent county,
as buffer to protect Sussex against nya.
"a sion by the disease This was rather rough
VI kon the buffer, where a vigllant watch
N would necessarily have to be kept up for
( years. and even this could not yield abso-
M Lutte protection, since the disease might be
a introduced, over the barrier through in
N ffected nursery stock.
However, the law was so well thought
fof at first that two years later in 1891, its
Operation was extended to all of Kent
county except kenton and Duck Creek
hundreds. The objection now comes
largely from the territory then annexed to
the quarantined section, and rs voiced by
Mr.. Armstrong and his constituents, has
been directed less against the law than
against its unsatisfactory administration
at the hands of incompetent commits
siOners. 1t is not everybody who knows a
case Of peach yellows at sight, and com
plants have been numerous of the con-
demnatiou and destruction of sound trees,
When the bill was taken up for passage.
Mr.. Cooch said that he was not prepared
to vote on it and asked that it he laid on
the table for the present.
Mr.. Armstrong said that he represented
the largest peach growing hundred i'll the
State North MurderkilD and all but two
or three of the growers of this hundred
are opposed to the existing law. They
don't wish guardians appointed over them;
they are able to take care of their own
orchards.
Mr.. Cooeh thought it would be very
unwise to break down the safeguards
against the march of the disease. He re.
ferred to the yellows having been stamped
out in Michigan by vigorous enforcement
of just such legislation,
Mr.. Armstrong dIscredited the Michigan
story. He had recent information that
they have more peach yellows now in
Michigan than they ever had
Mr.. Cooch referred to Iron Hill orchards
as evidence of the contiguous nature of
peach yellows. There, in the ferruginous
soil, some good peaches are still grown,
but the healthy orchard owned by a man
WHO nuS lhhGIl CuTc Vi MS tTGtS Is lITtul'
ened by the carelessness of neighbur,
who has not rooted out his diseased trees
II don't see how you can eradicate the
disease without Graduating the trees, said
Mr.. Cooch.
Mr. Armstrong said he had always sedu'
lously rooted out diseased trees in his own
orchards, vet his orchards had suffered rs
badly, or worse than the orchards Of Other
growers who let diseased trees stand till
they died.
Mr. Dasey was ready to accommodate
He knew little about peach yellows, but il
the people of Kent are tired OF the law he
would vote to relieve them of 1t.
Mr.. Cooch moved that the bill be lad on
the table. Five of his fellow members OF
the New Castle delegation disagreed with
him. They decided to put the bill through
and they carried their point. MIR. Cooch'.
motion was lost and the bill was passed By
the following vote:
Ayes-Arnstrong. Brian, Dasey, Day
Gam Harrington, Lynch, Pratt, Pretty
man, Salisbury, Sevil, spruance, Watkins
Whittock-li.
Noes-Cooch, Hickman, Jacobs Kenney
Speaker Whiteman--5.
| have said that Mr.. Armstrong was
happy man. But his happiness was short
lived, As soon as the Senate reassembIet
for the afternoon session, Mr.. Records
called up the bill for first reading in tha
body. IL did not get beyond that first read
ing. Mr.. Records moved that the furthe
consideration of the bill be indetiuitel,
postponed. Carried unanimously.
81 now move that the vote, by whicl
this bill was indefinitely postponed be re
considered, and that this motion to recon
slider be laid on the table, proceeded Col
Records.
"All in favor of the motion say aye,
said Speaker Houston.
There was a chorus of ayes and Arm
strongs Peach Iellows bill was killed an,
buried beyond the possibility OF resurreC
ton.
"Well, I'll get even with you" sai
Mr.. Armstrong to Senator Watson, al
hour later. Il will kill your bill when j
.fi comes into the House"
IN Mr. Watson has charge OF the John J
I Rosa bill, which is designed to make til
'iH existing peach yelows' act more effective
lI IF you do" was his reply, you vii
simply be cutting off your nose to spit
19 your face
~ The Senate took a recess of half an hou
n this afternoon and moved into the Ilous
II chamber to give audience to Superinten
dent Gray and others who wished to spea
N regarding some improvements i'll I'll
school laws. Senator Filling was called I
the chair.
Superintendent Gray said that the pre-
sent school laws are so numerous that
would require cartloud of books to get u
them all. lie suggested various change
and notifications. All the school house
should be insured; few OF the rural schou
houses are. Many town schools are incoi
porated ard the SUPERINTENDENT has IL
jurisdiction over them. such leSislatio
is modelled after city SYSTEMS where ther
is a competent superintendency, but I'll
result i'll small towns is that there is ofte
k8 practically no supervision or accounti
hility. There is need OF some proyisio
for reporting to the superintendent wha
teachers are employed and whether the
are properly qualified II might be well
superintendents were gwen authority
issue provisional certificates to otherwis
capable applicants who attain an examine
lion average of 60; such certificate to be r,
4 voked unless the applicant attained 70 pt
4 cent at the next examination.
Superintendent Handy had only q Wor
Of caution to utter against any prOpositio
+ TO divert money from the school fund. II
believed it would be diverted at the per
of any political party doing it. Ou
Jchools do not have more money tina
they ought to have. There is one thin
however the $1,000 appropriated annual
10 the negro schools and the $4,000 apple
10 the salaries of superintendents migl
Tery properly be paid out of the schot
fund, instead of the general fund. II
would also favor increasing the colore
4 lchools appropriation. Referring to al
portionment Mr.. Handy said Wilmingto
IN Jeems to have good cause for complain
.he n not receiving o proper share Of II