Evening journal., 1911-05-04
DOZEN BILLS
FAIL AS LAWS
WOmen'S Employment Act Is
Most Important Of the
Measures

DOVER, Del. May 4--The women's
employment bill failed to get the re-
quired signature of the Governor and
thereby became junk. instead OF be-
coming law, but It had company.
Besides a number of minor bills
which we're given pocket veto instead
Of his hand and seal by Governor
Pennewill, the girls employment bill,
the game bill increasing the fees to
be paid by non-residents and requir-
ing all residents to pay a license to
hunt or fish, and both bills increasing
the State superintendents OF public
instruction of each county and In
creasing only the superintendent OF
New Castle county. went by the
board" or "had to walk the plank"
as the pirate sailor would say.
Outside of these few measures, how
ever, tho four above mentioned being
the only Statewide important ones,
Governor Pennewill did not undo, TO
any extent, the work of the Legis-
lature. He vetoed only one bill dur
ing the session and signed practical
ly all--except the little bunch OF a
dozen left in his Office because OF
defective phraseology-left him by the
Legislature on adjournment.
The bill increasing all three super
intendents was defective in that It did
not pass the Senate. II came to the
Governor with the signature of the
presiding officer, duly enrolled and
all, but it was clearly shown that this
was an inadvertance due TO the rush
around closing hours and all-night
sessions.
Many of the legislators did not in
tend TO increase the salary of one
superintendent without increasing all,
and Governor Pennewill felt that It
was decidedly unfair, in view of the
large territory necessary to be cover
ed by both the other superintendents,
particularly the Sussex school head,
who has almost double the number
Of teachers and a third more school
houses to look after.
The governor was more than con-
vinced that the women's employment
measure would have worked far
greater hsrdships than blessing In
this State. Outside Of the opposition
OF both manufacturers and many
working women in Wilmington, the
Governor investigated its application
to the whole State and found II would
work great injustice for II TO become
a law. The people of the rural dis
tricts. for five months in the year
seldom leave the farm in daytime, but
do all their shopping at night In the
rural towns, like his own home town
Of Greenwood, and even at Dover, wo.
men clerks and milliners are engaged
sometimes until or 10 O'Clock al
night. A law preventing them from
working would not only operate
against them. but would work an in.
justice on all their country patrons.
The opposition TO the taxing OF resi-
dents OF the State for a license I,
hunt and fish, was Statewide. Thi
people rebelled strongly against pay
ing a license for this privilege, par
ticularly the workingmen and mel
of humber ranks of life who prob
ably only went out cunning on one ol
two holidays. Other objections cam,
from the farmers with two, three OF
four sons who desired TO gun occs,
sionally on or off their premises. II
would have necessitated a license FOL
each.
AS the same bill provided for the
increased license for non-residents
and that this increase would have
been regarded as unfair where the
residents license was not charged, the
Governor let the entire bill go by de,
fault.
The license fees for nonresident.
vii remain the same as under the ole
law, as this measure which has iust
died by the pocket veto alone applied
to the repeal Of the old law.