Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-14
1,ssuIae'9n HvsnIns Yel5sfdsy tssIy $4,000
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER IA. 1918
Now for the Legislature.


The Legislature OF Delaware VIII as
sernbc in biennial session at Dover on III,
first Tuesday Of January. 1919 a lttl,
more than six weeks from date II viii
be a Republican Legislature. in both
branches, under complete Republican
State administration lron tho Rcpub-
l,can party therefore, tho responsibility
for legislation v III rest
But. none the les, All thcpcoplc have
IN interest IN legislation. and there Is
no reason why part;~anshlp should have
any part in the Legislative proceedings
further than the organization work,
which viii Of course consist in putting good
Republicans in all the official positions
But even in this work care should be taken
10 select capable Republicans
Il Is reasonable tn assume i'll advance
that IN one respect the next Session will
bc a counterpart of past sessions, IN that
the members will ~ to Dover on tho
morning trans and return to their homes
on the afternoon trans. leaving very
little time for actual business. especially
for the consideration Of important meas
urcs in committee, and much less time
for hearing delegations Of interested citl-
zcns on measures IN which they may have
3 concern. either IN approval or opposi-
lon. This Is one ol the most SERIOUS
evils ot the innovation of recent wears
Winch has made our legislative sessions q
ucre matter of few hours each day, in
tho man
Time was Wien the members IL The
Legislature went to Dover Monday
morning and renamed there until Friday
afternoon Tins gave ample time four
nights = week. for committee sessions and
especially for public hearings md Very
interesting many oi tile latter We're and
their prevalence frequently made Dover
a very lively place But the addition q
numerous trains 10 the service ~ the
Delaware R.nIraad opened tic opportunity
tor members from al parts u tie State
to make daily trips ID and from Dover.
and they avallri themselves oi this op-
portunitv.
The change has been 4 positive dctn-
ment to the public service, and has de-
prived the Legislature Of much Of it's
former prominence and prestige For
their own sakcs the members Of the next
Legislature should lnauguratc . reform
There was sight very Slight improve
menf a, the session ri 1917, but the evil
of the daily coming and gong was para
mount The next Legislature should do
u great deal better IN this respect than It's
predecessor.
But there Is another important matter
III connection with the coming session Of
the Legislature, one that immediately
concerns the people who may be interest
cd in legislation, and to winch they should
give their consideration Il i~ il matter
that Every Evening has referred 10. IN
ample time, IN advance of every session
OF the Legislature for the past thirty wears
and 10 which We nov call attention. not
Vithstanding thu apparent hopelcS,nes.
Of the effort according TO the experience
OF the past And that IS. the preparation
Of bills ii time 20 have them read, for
presentation by the time set for the u.s. |
>empling os the Legislature at Dover.
The experience OF Legislatures in re- /
spect OF tins matter has been uniform |
almost from the time We had State /
Legislature The session opens with the .
members eager 10 take up work but
finding no work, save Of the ncTcst detail /
character, ready for them This was
the case even III the days when the mem
bers STAYED IN Dover from Monday morn
ing until Friday afternoon. giving nights
to the consideration uf business. For
SIX weeks, aud sometimes more. thev
would have httlc business, and ii seemed
hat the people had nothing to lay before
hem. But, invariably the remaining
part q the session would be crowded ]
Bills would pour ii, and the result MS
/ rush that made il impossible to give
.areiul consideration ID the uccuInula,ing
business.
L i amazingly strange that tic prople
:" regularly aId persistcnty display tnj-
initial indifference, followed 5, most
nsistcnt and vigorous campaigns for
eEsia'ion- Why is It they cannot dls-
over N advance q the assembling Of TIE
Legislature what The desire tie Legs
ature 70 do for them, instead Of falling
Q receive enhghtment until the session
; about to adjourn The evil Is more
'rononnced now than in tie old days.
because the regular sessions arc limited
. sixty working days for which compen-
alton is allowed and 10 Legislature
would be willing 70 continue il session
ong when tie mcinbeIs We're receiving
@ per diem
AlsV, ii ls ! Iac, that the early day> j