Evening journal., 1916-09-01
CHANGERS FAVOR
SMALL LEVY court
Would Abolish Present SyS-
tenn and Change Assess
ment and Collecting
Methods
POMONA ALSO TO LOOK
INTO MILK QUESTION

Pomona Grange, In session at Cen
treville yesterday afternoon. adopted
he report of special legislative COM
mittee advocating the abolition Of the
Levy Court as constituted now and
the creation OF a three-member body
and radical changes in the method Of
county assessment and collection of
taxes, and voted in favor of organic
ing to insure more profit from the
sale of milk.
Appointed at a meeting in December
to look into the matter Of a more ef-
ficient system of county government,
the committee, consisting of Richard
G. Buckingham, of Union; George l.
Townsend, Jr., of Middletown; Fran
els dell. Janvier, of New Castle; Her
vey Walker. Of Mermaid, and Frank
S. Yearsley had been at work on their
report eight months.
The committee made careful study
Of the new Sussex county law, and
in its report advocates the abolition of
the present seven-member body and
the creation of a Levy Court of three
members to receive a salary of $2,5OO
a year each. along the lines of the
Sussex county law. The report favOrs
the four-year period of election, the
same as is in force now, and suggests
that Wilmington constitute one dis
trict and that rural New Castle be
divided into two districts. The report
also recommends an assessment board
OF three members for the county and
county treasurer to collect all the
taxes of the county.
Favor Smaller Court.
The report, which was adopted Will
virtually no objection, was as follows:.
ITO the Worthy Master OF Pomoni
Grange of New Castle County. Stat
Of Delaware;
"Nour committee on legislation. ap
pointed under resolution Of December 2
1918. TO investigate present method
and proper measures looking to NOR
efficient system of county governmen
and a Just system Of taxation would re
spectfully report:
"Ihe committee organized by electin
MIR. Buckingham as chairman. A mum
Der of meetings have been held and tn
matters referred to the committee give
serious consideration. The members o
the committee have felt, and think tina
the members of the grange will full.
realize that the general matters referee
to them are Of very broad scope. an
are in fact matters with which thought
ful citizens have for years been strug
Cling, namely: Better government an
more equitable taxation The commit
tee would also demind YOU that thes
things are matters not so much q
measures as of men, that often the la,
.r 4. 4, e. a.. 4.
.of, but the carrying out of the law, an
that in a republic such as ours no LAY
can be satisfactory unless IL is cal
ried out satisfactorily by the indiviC
nals who are elected for that purpos'
We say this, not with any idea Of crit
cising any man or body of men, but
emphasize'to you the absolute fact tha
the way TO correct most of the evils q
government is at the polls rather tina
in the legislative hall.
THE work of your committee il
considering a more efficient system
Of county government has been aid
ed by the fact that the same sub
lect has been recently considered ant
legislated upon for Sussex county
and your committee has taken up th'
Sussex county law as a guide.
l.. The first thing considered b.
your committee was the Levy Court
the body by which all the financia
and administrative affairs of fhl
county are controlled, and we agre
with the Sussex county idea Of
smaller and more compact body a.
being more effective.
I'VE therefore recommend (anC
offer this recommendation for tn
consideration Of the Grange) that
bill be prepared and presented pro
viding changes in the present Law
as follows;
THAT after the first Tuesday il
January, 1918. the Levy Court Of New
Castle county as now constituted h
abolished. That after that date tn
county be divided into three Lev
Court districts, as follows: First dis
trict. City of Wilmington; Second dis
trict. Brandywine, Christiana. Mil
Creek. White Clay Creek and Ney
Castle hundreds; Third district. Re
Lion. Pencader. ST. Georges, ApDo
quinimink and Blackbird hundreds.
THAT the Levy Court consist o
three members. one member fron
each of the above districts. but al
members to be voted for all owe