Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-20
WASHINGTON ASKS
FOR LAW TOCREATE
A DEFENCE COUNCIL
Governor Townsend TO Lay Re
quest Before State Senate IN
Executive Session.
DEBATE ON INCOME TAX
Special Dispatch to Every Evening

Having received Imperative requests
from Washington that Delaware form
Defence Council, with statutory au
thnr,ty. Governor Townsend today ar
ranged to place the information before the
legislature having sought and been
granted permission to appear at . clock
this afternoon before nm executive SESSION
of tho Senate IN which body ~ pending
the Defence Council hill passed by the
House last Friday. Tho Senate rcvlsod
statutes committee which has the bull IN
charge. has had substitute drawn. rs
heretofore explained, which eliminates
the Defence Council feature
Tho authorities at Washington have
told the governor such a council Is nccos
sary in order to cooperate with the govern
ment IN national defence
ron SUBSTITUTE MI
In order tn have the wav for an entirely
new bill. which will provide for Defence
Council, rs well rs for the CONSUMPTION
Of Ioafers. Senator Wharton offered a
concurrent resolution in the SENATE rrovid
ing for tho appointment of JOINT cnni-
mittee of three Senators and seven Repre-
scntatlvcz. to- draw M such 2 hlll ae
substitute for the ono that y pending
In view ~ the fact however. that
il had been arranged 80 hear the govern
ar, this afternoon, action On the Iesolu
tion was deferred until after that con
ference
The result : likely to he new bill,
IN accordance with suggestions hy tho
Federal government, similar to the rend
ing hill with the MILITARY conscrlptlon
clause omitted. aa the governor has the
authority that feature would give.
For the first time slnre The spectral
session began. tho House has opened,
this morning. with patriotic song,
Good Save Our Noble Men IN which
All joined
Next the question arose as to whether
any business was 10 he considered other
than that specifically referred IN ~ the
governor : proclamation, through Mr.
NcNahh calling for action on tho hill
amending the Income Tax law hy ras
ing the exemption 10 81. 500 and $1,000
for single and married men. respectively
and lnaluding agrlCuturiats and real
estate mon
Nir Jones said he had been asked 10
offer an amendment cXempting mon III
the military SERVER. but he was held back
until a decis,ou could he reached AS TO
whether irrelevant bills could he con
sidered
Mr. NcNahh thercupon began 10 argue
about The injustice ot tho inll. claiming
that It discriminates against working
people
MIR Rovce SAID tho subject was ex-
cluded, not being ncludod IN the gov
ernors message
WILL. ADVISE REsTsTANcF
Il agree with YOU" said Mr. NeNabh.
hut It Is war measure, The law IS
unconstitutional and | shall advise my
people not topay tho tax untl tho law
has been tested
Mr.. Downward thought the bill should
be considered
Mr. Poet opposed tho hill on the ground
that II IS not a war measure.
Mr. Downward Contendcd that tho
Income Tax bill is a war measure.
MIR Bovce sand even If the bill was
war measure II would bc out Of place at
this session The present tax has been
levied and there will bc another Legs
latlre before the next levy IS made.
MIR Rash SAID the idea Is TO try to
make the income tax legal. SO that all
can pav the tax with clear consclcnccs.
Mr.. Pcct said until the courts have
declared the law unconstitutional 1t
remains on the statute books, aud the
tax must be paid no matter what any
body advises
MIR. Burris contcndcd that everything
that Is done Is of interest 10 Wilmington
but as the Legislature resolved To restrict
its business 10 that mentioned IN the
governor proclamation, he did not see
how this bIll could be passed All
the powers IN Wilmington, political or
otherwise, he said will not deter me
one jot or little from doing my duty.
He wondered whether the Delaware
a..
important matter rs national defence,
After all he pointed out. the Defence
bill is directed only at the criminal Stacker,
Eve came here IN a great crisis. Let us
meet II and cut out all other things that
have no bearing thereon. Lot US conhne
ourselves.
INJUSTICE or ENEMPTIoN
Mr.. Connolly regretted the haste III
which the House had passed the Defence
bill Ii brought storm Of protest,
which is beng needed, and there Is . storm
of protest against the Income Tax bill
which ought to be needed. lie thought
125.OpO people IN Wilmington should be
bceded II don't come under the income
tax. he said II am a real estate owner
/ am exempt Why should BE- exempt
and my colleagues TO my right (McNabbl
have to paw It when he rs not as we'll able
as , This is no child play. We have
been here two weeks and done nothing.
You have done your share to con-
tribute toward doing nothing, said
Mr. Burris
MIR Cross spoke in favor Of the Income
Tax law amendments His constituents,
he said. have been asking him why he
voted to free the real estate men from
the tax. The working people feel there
has been discrimination against them
and they look to the Legislature to re-
store justice.
Mr. Jones said il this Legislature has
made a mistake it should rectify it
He said his concern does q business Of
about 100000 but pays no income tax
thereon, though personally he pays S.
or $40 He thought this was wrong.
Wilmington, said Mr.. McNabh, lis
the meal ticket for Delaware. Take
it away and where will Delaware be ~
He thought Wilmington, paying S5 per
cent of the expense, should be more largely
represented than it is, SO that il can get
justice,
He WOULD sECEDE
Wilmington is being robbed by the
I,0;eta4,Ire y he said ffYou levy an assass