Evening journal., 1915-02-08
LEGISLATURE TO
Weed OUT BILLS
Many Measures Likely To
Die in Committee or in
Either Branch
IMPORTANT SUBJECTS
YET TO BE ACTED UPON


claims and appropriations have been
introduced in the Legislature, the re-
mainder of the session will be devoted
TO clearing the calendars of Senate
and House of pending bills. Certain
It is that many of the measures intro
duccd into both branches will never
be passed. They either will be allowed
to sleep peacefully i'm committees or
will be killed openly on final vote.
Thus far changes in the game laws
have been the disturbing element in
The legislature They have over
shadowed even differences over legis-
lation affecting the liquor business.
which has been kept in the back
ground thus far, compared with for
.mer sessions.
AS the present Legislature. which
is about half over. starts on the last
half of its existence. there is reason TO
yboieve some sharp skrmishes will
take place in Senate and House over
several subjects Many persons look
for adjournment about March 16 or 10.
The Democrats will not let the Re-
publicans put through their bills to
reorganize the Kent and Sussex
county Levy Courts and to reform the
tax collection systems of the two
lower counties without a fight II is
not the purpose of the Republican
bills TO rip" the present Levy Courts
Of those counties out of existence at
one blow. but the bills provide that
the three-member Levy Courts it is
proposed to create. shall assume Of
flee two years hence. The Rcpubli-
cans assert that reforms in the gov
ernmental systems of Kent and Sus-
sex counties were issues espoused by
them in the last campaign in the two
lower counties. and they intend to
make good" by passing bills to reor-
ganize the Levy Courts by creating
three-member bodies. instead OF ten
members for each county. as al pres
ont, also by centralizing tax cOllec-
tiOns in a county treasurer and re-
ceiver of taxes that two years hence
will abolish all the tax collectors In
the various hundreds. The Repub-
iicans control Senate and House and
have enough votes to put through
such legislation.
There is a general feeling that the
proposed new charter for Whining
ton will not get very far in the Leg
islature. II will not even get a good
start out of committee. many mem
bers believe. The same feeling pre-
walls about several other bills affect
ing Wilmington on which there are
indications that the Republican and
Democratic members of the Legsla-
ture will not agree, at least so long
as the measures are in their present
form One of the important bills af-
fecting Wilmington that is still in
committee is that 10 provide for a
permanent board Of assessment, ap-
peal and revision, TO be bipartisan.
Another measure of importance 10
Wilmingtonians is that to centralize
in the city treasurer the collection Of
all city taxes. The bill would give
the city treasurer four clerks. equally
divided politically. II would abolish
the present offices Of assessors and
collectors OF taxes in Wilmington.
II is proposed TO name the members
OF the new Board of Assessment. Ap-
peal and Revision in the bill. the
spaces for the names being left blank
in the bill as introduced into the
House.
Still another bill of far-reaching
importance affecting Wilmington that
Is still in committee is that providing
that property owners shall pay for a
cost of paving the streets in front
of their properties. No committee
action has been taken as yet on the
bills empowering Wilmington City
Council TO issue bonds as may be
needed for use of the various city
departments to authorize the Water
Commissioners to borrow money for
new reservoir and TO empower the
Board of Education 10 borrow money
for an addition to the High School.
hat will include suitable gymna-
sium.
b Board Of Education Bill.
Much interest is manifested in the
5 bill TO reorganize the Board Of EdI-
cation of Wilmington by providing for
B board of seven members to be elect
ed from the city at large A hear
ing will be given by the House and
Senate committees on education on
this bill on Wednesday morning il
having been introduced in both
branches bv Senator Gormley aul
Representative Downward. The Board
Of Education of Wilmington and tho
High School Alumni Association have
4 been invited 20 be represented at tho
hearing. While the Board of Sduca-
tion two weeks ago adopted a rcsolu-
lion calling on the Legislature to
i abolish the Board and vest control
81 of the schools in City Council, il is
significant that two members Of the
n Board have been active in trying "a
defeat the bill now pending to reduce
the Board TO seven members Tho
81 two Board Of Education members
who have been opposing the Alumni
= bill and have been urging legislators
a to vote against it are DR.. T. O.
Cooper, member from the First ward
and DR.. II. G. Buckmaster member
from the Fourth ward. Some per-
sons who have learned Of the activi-
ties OF the two Board of Education
members against abolition of the
present Board. after they had vote 4
81 IN favor of abolishing il. regard their
attitude as simply another reason
why the Board should be rcor-
ganizcd.
SuffraglstS Again.
Tomorrow afternoon a hearing will
81 be given by the committee on revised
statutes of the Senate on Senator
Harris proposed amendment TO the
n Constitution TO give the ballot TO wo-
men. Mrs. Florence Bayard Hilles
end Miss Mabel Vernon will head the
delegation of suffragists who will
advocate the measure.
hearing is expected TO be given
soon TO the Committee of Forty on
81 Tabor Touislation of Nilr,ip oyt,u