Evening journal., 1919-02-05
SENATE Fight over
,USSEX COUNTYBILL
Democrats Object to Un-
animous Levy Court
Vote to Veto
TO GIVE HEARING
ON MEASURE TO-DAY
pecIaI % The EvenIng journal.

Special to The Evening Journal.
DOVER, Del. Feb. 5.-A partisan fight
was Injected into the proceedings OF
yesterday afternoons session OF the
Senate when Senator Palmer. OF the
Fifth Senatorial District OF Sussex
County called for final action upon his
Dill TO Increase the salary OF the county
comptroller OF Sussex from $1,000 10 81
SOD year. to give the comptroller au-
thority to name his own deputy, and
to provide that a unanimous vote OF the
Sussex Levy Court shall be necessary
10 override the veto OF the comptroller.
Several Democratic members VIGOROUSLY
4, opposed the bill. one OF the them max
ing charges OF deals" Upon motion
OF Senator Long action upon the bill
was deferred until this afternoon when
II will be special order OF business, and
when members Of the Sussex Levy
Court will speak upon II.
senator Palmer explained that the
county comptroller OF New Castle Coun-
ty gets $500 a year, and the Kent comp
troller. $500. and II was only fair that
the Sussex comptrollers salary should
be Increased 10 $500. He also pointed
out the Justice OF allowing the comp
troller TO name his own deputy, which
at present Is done by the Levy Court.
He explained that the Sussex Levy Court
Is comprised OF three members, and
that the present system OF allowing q
majority OF that body TO Overrule the
comptroller's veto permitted two mem
bers practically to dictate 10 the comp
troller. He said that II the ONCE Of
county comptroller was 10 mean any
thing that offlcer should have proper
authority, and that under the present
system the ONCE might as we'll be abol-
ished.
Senator Murphy. Democrat. stated
that he had talked to residents OF Sus-
sex County. and that they had expressed
the opinion that the bill was one Of the
rankest they ever saw. He said that
he did not object to raising the comp
troller's salary, but did obieci-to the
comptroller naming the county engin-
eer's clerk. which the bill also provides,
and he said that he had heard that a
deal had been made between the Senator
from the Fifth district OF Sussex and
the county comptroller, once political
enemies.
1NAaAlA NNA AAAAIN EdA4 AlAuA AAg NAl AA0N
object to the salary increase, but he
did oppose the provision requiring the
vote Of the Levy Court to
override a veto or the decision Of the
chair. He pointed out that In New Cas-
tie County only a majority Of the Levy
Court Is required 10 override the comp
troller's veto, and a two-thirds vote is
required In Kent.
Replying to this, Senator Palmer
pointed out that there are not many
bodies composed OF such a small num-
Der Of members as three. He said that
unusual conditions exist In Sussex
County, and II the authority Is not
granted 10 the comptroller the ONCE
might as well be abolished.
Referring to Senator Murphy's
Of a deal" Senator Palmer ridi-
culed the accusation and declared that
he did not even know the nam7s OF
the. clerks Of the comptroller AMI the
county engineer. and had never dis
cussed the matter with the cOmptrol-
Ter. He said that he had taken the mat
ter up with several citizens OF George
town and they believed the bill to be
q worthy one.
1T seems TO me that the Senator