Evening journal., 1915-02-01

H. ~ fbND
Of rev business today. the last on
which any excepting appropriations and
claims measures can be presented, the
Legislature will settle down to commit
tee work to consider the various hills
and determine what shall be reported
favorable, what shall be returned with
unlN orable recommendation. and also
60 take final action on the various bills.
When the House resumed business this
morning two hundred bills were on the
House calendar and l04 we're on The
Senate calendar. Just how many viii
be listed on the calendars when thu
dead-linr Is drawn al the close af to-
day. legislative day. i. pr0blematiral
hut il i certain that the new bills
introduced will not begin ta approx.
mate the number prcsel tea two wears
ago. There Is every Indication that tAr
present General Assembly Mill turn ont
the smallest volume Of laws enacted ol
any since the new Constitution was bro
mugated. The present Legislature IS
working under 2 new rule that does not
require 4 previous notice for the intro
iuctlon Of billg. Thus. when this leais.
lativc day ends. all the new bills will
nave hccn introduced Il Will be pos.
sible. however 70 report substitute bills
OF an entirely different character out of
committee to take the places of some
ot those presented TO meet such con
tingencics.
Bills Affecting Wilmington.
The bills now before the legislature
run the gamut ot important subjects.
There are many directly affecting Will
inngton, some of which may be passed,
and many Of which will fall bv the way
side. There is bill to merge the Juye.
nile Court with the Municipal Court,
with the Municipal Court Judge as iudge
OF the Riddles court There is am
other bill to pay the Judge Of tie Juye-
me court $500 year. and to pay the
probation glitter $1,000 a year, maintain
ing il az separate court with its own
Judge a7 under tho present law.
There is also before Senate and
House the Wilmington High School
Alumni bill to abolish the present
BOARD of Education and to create in
its stead a new board Of seven mem
bers TO be elected from the city at
large. The bill was introduced In the
Senate by Senator Gormley. who made
il plain that he was not committed for
or against it, but presented il by re-
quest. 1t was offered in the House by
Representative Downward The AL
umni Association will request Joint
committee hearing soon in behalf of
the bill. While the present Board OF
Education has taken action in favor
Of abolition cf the present board and
turning over control of tho schools 10
City Council, il is known that some
members of the present Board of Edu- |
cation have been urging certain mem |
bers of the Legislature to oppose the |
reorganization bill now before tho |
General Assembly. Dr. T. o. Cooper |
and DR.. II. G. Buckmaster. two mem |
bers of the Board Of Education. all !
ready have conferred with certain
legislators in order TO try 10 get them |
TO oppose the reorganization bill.
Would Change Levy Courts.
The bill to require property owners
in Wilmington TO pay share Of the
cost Of street paving in front Of their
properties has been introduced in the
House This measure has been de- |
feated in several sessions of the Legis- |
lature. 1t is known as the abutting |
property paving bill The bill to pro-
vide for a permanent board of assess
ment and revision in Wilmington, and
another to place the collection of
taxes in charge of the city treasurer,
were introduced today.
There are several bills affecting the
Levy Courts of each county One is
to provide for a three-member Levy
Court TO succeed the present Levy
Court There is bill 10 abolish
the Office of hundred tax collectors
in Kent and Sussex counties, and to
create the Office of Receiver of Taxes
and County Treasurer in both Kent
and Sussex. This bill would per-
nit the present county treasurers 70
finish their terms and receive the
Cmoluments of the Offices. but would
make the new Receiver of Taxes and
County Treasurer in charge of tax
from the time he should
be appointed by the Governor. 1t
would give the present tax collectors
two years in which TO finish their
elections While the Republican !
majority has sufficient votes to put l
through legislation affecting Kent i
md Sussex counties. it is not known /
rs yet whether it will be pressed
Partisan lines are drawn sharply in 4
he present Legislature the feeling ]
having been fostered because of the 1
iontest made BY the Democrats Of !
he seat of Senator Joseph Frazier, ,
Republican Of Kent county, which tile d.,
republicans claim was unwarrantcd
ma based solely on partisan grounds.
The Republican members of the Legis-
ature have made it plain that they 7
re willing to shoulder the RESPONSE =
ility fer all they do 2
hid Labor Situation.
Much interest will center in the
ills to abolish the Child Labor Com
lissiOn and give the Governor the
over to appoint a new three-mem-
er commission and to name the child
ibor inspector, and also in the effort
} repeal or TO amend the Ten-Hour
Employment law. Persons
lterested in preserving the child la
or and women's employment laws
S they exist will seek hearings be-
ire Senate and House committees be-
ire final action is taken. There is
belief that the Ten-Hour law will X
e left as at present but il would NOT
G surprising If some legislative ac-
on is taken finally to change or cur
iii the power Of the Child Labor
or at least to give the U
overnor the appointment of the fC
hid Labor Inspector. The meddling 81
United States Senator Willard y,
aulsbury in the situation. and his W
ming up of Senator Furniss against d
Dolition Of the commission after Fur q
iss had introduced a bill to abolish