Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-12-04
FAST BOATS AND BRIDGES
Vessels Must SIacken Speed
When Passing Through
Draws, Under Penalty.
LEVY COURT WILL TAKE ACTION
Boatowner Presents a Claim,
But Bridgetender Said He
Was Running Too Fast,
and the Dill Was
Not Allowed.


The Levy Court. al ito meeiing Tue4day
placed itself on record as being opposed
to allowing boats TO rtn through draw
bridges at full spead, and Chairman
Philemma Chandler WIS instructed to look
into The government regulations on the
sub est ana draft resolution covering the
point. for presentation at the next meeting.
The resolution will probably impose heavy
penalty for iGst running through bridges in
the future.
This action was the result Of acclaim made
by George II. jackson. owner oil naphtha
launch, amounting TO SO, for damage
alleged to have been sustained by the boat
in collision with fleming's bridge re-
Gently. j. q. Gibbons, the tender of the
bridge, was communicated with and replied
that the collision was no fnul. OF his, and
remarked, incidentally. that boats run
through the draw at full speed. which, he
pointed out. IL detrimental. He said also
that some Ct tile boats did not blow until
too late TO give him time to turn the
draw of.
After Mr.. Gibbons letter had been read
1t wHs decided. en- molten of Mr.. Ewart, to
inform the claimant of the nature of the
bridge tender 8 reply and that tine court had
decided not 20 pay the bill.
President Willis reported that the steam
boat Clio coilided with Fenimore's bridge
last Saturday night. and the bridge was
damaged. He and Mr.. Armstrong will make
an Investigation and report at the next
meeting.
A bill was recently sent to the B ent county
Levy Court for hall the cost of repairs to
bridge on Smyrna River, which Is on the
dividing line between the two counties.
President Willis hes received a letter from
the president os the Kent Levy Court stating
that the matter will be taken up at the
meeting of the Kent Levy Court tooay.
Ii was the sonse of the meeting that
hrfd .r,S q tad
after jointly by the Levy Courts of the two
counties.
A communication was received from
Receiver of Taxes Rettew. asking for in
structions. The letter stated that be had
been unable to collect taxes nmicably from
the plant of theioxy- II ydrogen Co., also on
the ground upon which Second street market
is located. The letter also set forth that tw ;
properties in this city we're recently sold by
the sheriff, who had declined 10 pay more
than two years back taxes, on the advice.
IL is understood, of an attorney. Mr..
Rettew wanted to know whether properties
disposed of at sleriif's sale were liable for
more than two years taxes. The statement
was also made that one property had been
sold by the sheriff, but as the proceeds did
not pay the cost Of execution. no money
was received for back taxes. The receiver
wanted to know whether or not taxes were a
prior lien. The letter was placed in the
hands of the committee on attorney, who is
to confer with Attorney Conrad and report
at the next meeting.
William T. Deighton, collector of taxes in
Mill Greek hundred, appeared before the
court and said he desired to correct false
impression which he feared had gottsn out
as the result of remarks by a speaker at the
good roads meeting at Newark yesterday.
He said he was told that one OF the speakers
charged that in soEe of the hundreds all of
the road tax collected did not find its way
into the hands of the road commissioners.
He said all of the road and other tax col
lected by him, less his commission OF 8
per cent, was paid to tie receiver, and the
books showed that be did not owe the county
anything out of the collections made.
Mr.. Ewart, who attended the farmers
meeting, said Mr.. Deighton was misin-
| formed, the speaker referred to having said
| all of the road tax had NOT been collected in
some of the hundreds, to prove which asser-
tion he produced the figures.
| Mr.. Deighton admitted that all OF the
| road taxes had not been collected, but said
| all collected had been turned In.
Receiver Rettew explained the method Of
| turning the money over to the road COM
missioners. The explanation was satisfactory.
| The following was adopted:
Resolved, That the comptroller be and
\ he is hereby directed to charge the regis
tration account with The sum standing
TO the credit of said account, said sum
| being $21. 594.64, and creoit the same to
| the election account.
The object of the resolution is to take the
election and registration expenses out of the
receipts from the registration.
| Mr.. Chandler spoke of the matter of COM
| pensating Hugh @. Browne ana Baldwin
| Springer, the notaries who swore the regis
| iration officers as TO the correctness of their
| books. he said the notaries had received
1 no pay from the registration officers and
suggested that the Levy Court pay the
~nxat.. tt.a
| money the amount be deducted from the
4 pay of reg .stration officers.
we cannot do that said President
Willis, as the State pays the compensa-
tion of the registration officers" There
! the matter ended and no action was taken.
| A resolution was adopted allowing each oi
the registrars in Wilmington S. and each
outside of the city 81 for expenses in post
| ing the lists of voters, &c.
| At the request of President Gawthrop oi
| the board of trustees OF the county work
house, tho rules were suspended and the bill
| of the institution for hoard OF prisoners last
month, amounting to s1,y74.s0, was paid.
No action Was taken regarding the pay.
1 nent of the Democratic primary election
officers, as their bills have not been sent in,
the county committee having difficulty III
locating some OF the men.
| President Willis said the impression thai
the county had borrowed 5000 from John
T.. Donahoe, Investment tax collector. wai
incorrect, as he had paid the money, being
! collections of Investment tax, the came al
any other tar, and 1t wns not in the nature
OF loan, but when the court decided tbs
law unconstitutional he ceased payinl
money to the county Mr.. Megginson said
he understood the collector always regarded
1t as a loan. CLERK Janyier said the collector
was indemnitied when ne advanced tht
money. The clerk also said that Collector
Donahoe was bonded, having rebonded al
the time he was reappo.nted collector.
After the meeting the members conferred
| with Comptroller Kelley relative TO the dis
| puted election bills, but no action was taken
No mention was made at the lneeting o.
the order on the sheriff to sell Seventh stree
bridge, bu. it is likely that the matter will
be taken up with the courts attorney in /