Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-24
fHE HARBOR OF WILMINGTON
another Bill Enabling Council
to Appropriate Money
FOR IMPROVING THE CARISTIANA
a Busy Time at the State
Capital.

The Bni Providing For the Payment OF the
Claims For the Improvements to tho Ma
tionaI Guard Armory In Wilmington
Passed by Both Houses; Created IA Breeze |
In ths Lower Hranch, Howover.
stan Correspondence NJ Gazette and journal.
Dover, March i7.-At the afternoon |
session OF the Senate, yesterday, Mr. |
Meredith gave notice, at the request Of
William f. Smslley, Jr. OF bill per-
miiting the City Council of Whining
ton to make an appropriation for hRrbor
improvement, provided the Federal
government makes 40 appropriation J
sufficient for the work Mr.. Smalley
who represents tho Wilmington Buard
of Trade. informed the memhers that
the measure wonld he similar in the
main to the one which recently passed
the llUupe aud was indeiinitely post
puned in the Senate. There might he
a difference, however, in the method
of raising the money. The 10 per cent
feature will, however, in all probs
bility, he retained.
The general educational hill, is the
subject of general discussion by the
members. Attorney Henry Ridgely. Jr.,
addressed the members Of both houses
in Representative Hall in tho after
noon, his object being to nuke clear
4 explanation. In relation to the pro
visions Of the bill, he said there ara
in the State at ths present time over
800 independent seats of school govern
mont, which have no interests in com
mon Tine city of Wilmington, he said,
has besn paying 10 per cent Of the
school fund, which goes 20 Kent and
Sussex counties and rural New Castle
county. The money is not all paid
back to the city because it is necessary
that children all over the State must
be educated, and all are Interested in
the general education OF the state. The
school hill takes the Representative dis
trict as the new unit, as it has been
created the political unit. Then take
the individual districts therein to-
gether, SO that they can counsel
together and aid each other. 1t has
leen stated that the bill aims at local
self government, and direct blow to
4 the right OF every citizen. 1t ia vel
known that schoul elections have been
let severely alone by the persons who
are now raising the greatest com
motion. Each school district elects
81 one commissioner, instead of three, une
h reason being that heretofore 10 most
cases tho work has fallen to one man.
The election OF onB man centres the
responsibility. Under the now plan it
& would be an unnecessary multiplication
4 OF officers The new districts are called
sub districts to distinguish them from
4 the Representative districts. The com
missioners elected in the sub districts
meet and elect or appuint three of their
number as an executive committee.
This committee makes each year an
Il estimate for all of the school districts
H. .taNf Il 1Nrsa A
4 Their WORK ia submitted to the sub
district commissioners and ia not worth
anything unleas approved by majority
of the commissioners If any sub
district commissioner thinks his dis
trict has heep elighted he can put in
an estimate, which may take the place
s for his district of the estimate OF the
i executive committee, il approved by a
majority of the comnIise toner's The
assessment and collection ia the same
as at present. but the money must be
expended according to the estimat ties.
and the clerk OF the executive com
mittee must give bond to guarantee the
proper expenditure of the money. The
policy of the State appropriation is not
4 that the money should be expended in
4 the proportion in which il is collected.
n but on the principal that all of tine dis
tricts are part OF the State, 40 that the
children educated in the rurnl districts
may be so educated that they may be-
come good citizens
This ia not a new experiment. 1t is
a plan which has been adopted ana ap
proved in about all Of the progressive
States.
Continuing, Mr.. Ridgely said the mon
ey collected in sub-districts goes intC
the common fund OF the Representative
district and ia expended according tt
the estimates. If one district Collect
more than another, as the collection il
made according to tine assessment, ant
on the principle that its school need
more money, the additional amour
reverts back to the district raising it
Tine matter of conveyance for pupil
living at distance from school, h
said, is TO be antirely disuretionar.
with the commissioners of the Repre-
sentative district. The bill gives th
power, if the commissioners agree, Il
establish graded schools, where such
thing lie possible. The bill DOES not d
away with local self government, a
has been intimated.
Mr.. Ridgely quoted the constitution
calling for the act, which specifics tina
the colorei people shall receive none
II in the same proportion as the whit
NJ people. The money must be divide
among the Districts whereas ther
wers no colored school districts before
In regard to tine right of womon
4 vote, he said the idea of the bill is I
give women the right to vote ii the
Il have property qualifications, the sam
as is the case in Wilmington. The
can simply vote in their own districts
and would not vote for white scho'
commissioners, but for colored con
missonera only. The colored sui
districts will be away in the minorit!
only two or three in a Representati'
datrict, while there will be eight or
n white sub districts. The colored con
missioners will have power only so fl
as their own schoUls are concerned.
The chancellor and president of Del
ware College are placed on the Sta
Board of Education because they wou
remain, while other members would
changed, and their experience wou
be valuable. The bill ia designed
4 keep politics out of schoul matters.
4 regard to expense, only about 1920
] year will be required to run the Sta
and county boards. On the basis
last years school fund, which amount,
to about $3.50, 600. the general fund W
Il profit about $1,000. as it ia the j
4 tentIon of the Legislature, evidentl
Il to appropriate 500, 900, and the reven
from investments will amount to abo
$40, 900. So, the people who feel tn
the new system will be expensive ha
been misinformed