Evening journal., 1911-03-14
WILL PROBE
SUSSEX COURT
Fight Over Road Question
Leads to Investigation Of
Highway Management
DREXLER BELIEVES THE
SYSTEM IS WASTEFUL

Special TO THE EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER, Del, March 14.-Senator
Drexler made an unsuccessful ngh1
in the Senate yesterday afternoon TO-
try 10 have enacted some amendments
to the Sussex county highway law that
would apply to Sussex the system now
in operation in New Castle county
which gives the county engineer super
vision of all road improvements and
takes that supervision out OF the hands
of the Levy Courtmen. The DreAler
amendments were defeated by Vole
of 8 nays to yeas, the members split
ting up and not voting along party
lines.
After his amendments were defeat
ed Senator DreXler offered a resolU-
ton empowering the president OF the
Senate to appoint a committee OF
three members to make an investiga-
tion of the Levy Court and the imam
cial system of Sussex county Win
power to summon and swear witness
es, etc, but this was passed by vote
of 3 70 s, Senator DreXler and Senator
Corbit, Republicans, voting with the
Democrats for the resolution, and
Senator Anderson, Democrat voting
with the other Republicans against the
resolution. The Sussex County Levy
Court is controlled by the Republicans.
Lieutenant Governor Mendinhall ap-
pointed Senators Drexler, Pierce and
Fooks, the latter a Democrat, as the
investigating committee. Senator DreN-
Ter made a long speech in behalf of his
amendment to make the county engi-
neer and not each Levy Courtman the
supervisor of all road building and
improvements i'm Sussex county. IN
der the present system each Levy
Courtman is in charge Of improve
ments in his own district. Senator
Drexler charged that the Levy Court
men, lacking expert and technical
knowledge as to laying out, building
and drainage Of highways, were not
competent to have charge of that work
and produce the best results. Senator
Drexler read extracts. from the testi-
mony taken at examination into the
government of each county conducted
by the State Revenue Commission 10
bear out his statements that there was
laxity in the road system of Sussex
county that only could be corrected by
giving the county engineer charge OF
all road projects. His bill provided that
| there should be two supervisors to
carry out the county engineers orders
i'm each hundred, but the Levy Court
would continue control of the funds
! Senator Drexler charged that the Levy
Courtmen were present opposing his
bill, and he also charged that one OF
the Levy Courtmen had admitted tc
/ him during the day that the present
/ county engineer of Sussex is ineff-
cient. and that he had been elected by
one Democrat voting with some of the
Republicans. Senator Drexier called
on Levy Courtman Reed of the frs
Sussex district. who was present, tC
stand up and express openly TO th'
Senate his reasons for opposing th'
bill, but Mr.. Reed merely nodded his
head mo" and did not explain
Lower Counties Divided On Bill.
Senator Ewing, chairman of the
highways committee, said the Ken
and Sussex members of the commit
tee had divided on the bill and he hat
gotten them to make a report "on It's
merits" He said nobody excepting
the attorney for the Levy Court mac
appeared to oppose the bill. and h'
thought this strange, as such a bill
pertaining to New Castle countl
would have drawn large delegations
for and against It. He praised lh'
successful operation of the presen
New Castle county law, with the cOui
ty engineer and supervisors system
referring especially to the fact tina
Brandywine hundred practically ha'
wiped out nearly $4,000 of road deb
| -,
roads under the present system.
Senator Corbit said he was a cham
pion of the engineer system in New
ICastle county and his personal opin
ion was that it would be good for tn
entire State. AT the same time H.
said he did not want to foist upoi
Sussex county something it did no
want, and found it embarrassing will
the Sussex members divided.
Senator Pierce, of Sussex, said Their
was great opposition to the Drexle
amendments, and dozens Of propert.
owners had talked to him and calle,
him by telephone to speak against II
He pointed to the fine roads beinl
built in Cedar Greek hundred by Lev
Courtman Reed as an example c
what can be done under the presen
system, and he predicted that withi
five years Cedar Creek hundred will
have as fine roads as any distric
within the State.
FOOks Changes Front.
Senator FOoks said that a week az
he was opposed to the bill. but sine
he had come to understand It h
would vote for it. The vote on th
bill was:
Ayes-Senators Corbit, DrexIei
Ewing, Fooks, Hazel, Shelldrak,
Walls, President pro TEN Monagha
! IS.
Nays-Senator Anderson, Black
stone, David, Dutton, Ellison, Film
Marshall, Miller. Pierce-9.
Senator Drexler then submitted HI
I resolution calling for the annoinfmnr