Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1919-03-12
KENT COUNTY RIPPER BILL
PASSES THE STATE SENATE
WENT THRU YESTERDAY AFTER
NOON BY STRICTLY PARTY VOTE
Senator Alice and Senator HOllett in
Hot TiIt--BiI Changes System of
County Government in Kent.

County Government in Kent. Il
After the amendment agreed upon T
by the Senate Revised Statutes Com !,
mittee, redistricting Kent county, had q
been adopted, and three amendments n
offered by Senator Murphy, Democrat, 2
had been voted down, the Senate yes 9
terday afternoon passed Senator AL I
lees "ripper" bill, to reorganize the T
Levy Court of Kent County by reduc
ing the membership of that body from
ten to three members, and providing
that the new members shall be elected
at the general election in 1920. Sen
ator Alice made strong plea for the
passage of the bill, declaring that a
Levy Court consisting of three mem
bers will be more efficient than ten
commissioner court. He took excep-
ton to the manner in which the bills
changing the county government had
been misrepresented and misconstru-
ed, declaring that they were intended
solely to establish more efficient sys-
tenn of county government in the |
county. The final vote upon the bill
as amended was II yeas to nays,
divided upon strict party lines, as fol-
lows: Yeas-Senators Alice, Bennett,
Brown, Handy, Long, Palmer, Rich
ards, Robertson, Walker, Webster and
Short: II. Nays-Senators Gormley
Hollett, Latta, Murphy and Price: s.
Senator Pool was absent.
= How the Districts are Gerrymandered
- The committee amendment to the
: bill was adopted by vote OF 10 yeas
e to nays, Senator Brown voting with
the Democratic members. This amend
ment provides that the three Levy
Court districts should consist as fol-
lows: First-First, Second, Third and
Fifth Representative districts. Sc
= cond-Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Repre-
sentative districts. Third-Seventh
- Eighth and Tenth Representative dis
tricts. This divides the county into
u three solid blocks of equal size con
- tiguous to each other. The Orlglna
on bill provided that they be distrcteC
- as follows: First-First, Second
Fifth and Seventh districts. Second
= Third. Fourth, Sixth and Ninth dis
- tricts. Third-Eighth and Tenth. Tn
,or voting strength of the three district
~ is about equally divided between tn
Democratic and Republican parties.
Est. Three Amendments Voted Down.
- Following the adoption of the con
- nnittee amendment, Senator Murph
offered a series of four amendment
20 each of which were separately vote
-, down by a vote of 9 nays to Z yea
Senators Brown and Latta voting vii
the Democrats. The first of the
Il. provided that the three members
the Levy Court be elected at large
lOre the county; the second provided tn
able the term of office be for six years 1
the stead of two; the third provided Tn
judi at the first election one member shou
sing he elected for two years, one for TO
bot, and one for six, and the fourth pr
ecil, vided that members appointed by t
the Governor in cases where there is
The vote shall serve only until the folio
pity ing election.
ne" Alice and HOllett in Hot Debate
nber Aiiee anu =,
II be In speaking for the amended
but when it was put upon its final passa
an Senator Alice declared that the tn
orm hills changing the system OF coul
Com government in Kent county had D.
! for bashed over, misrepresented and
, as strued and that anyone who wanted
while find out anything about them had t
The opportunity. He explained that
Car intent of the three bills was to ere
more efficient system of county G
eminent in Kent county, changing
80 nresent Levy Court from ten memt
at $500 a year, which he declares
,ealed ,nwieldv. to three members at 81
a wear. and to change the system
81, aesessment and tax collecting.
night, ator hollet' Ci@ln- 49,. = atic
adj Levy court u NeiiS C 1,I 1T
tempt and ecohon,!0''i ''.i1 1oI L,,+ ono
- ~ nose "to turn Kent county over to
: So S',n Republican party" He designate
: mea- as ro''en -, +Io Dorooc
d with pointed OUT .r"' 80 VIZ. 4so low T Con,
oou-1 1899 there was deficit of $50
e~ ~, - and at the present time the county
i COM a DanA O'lels.e0 :. bridges
~ l'..o ~, good roads have been constructed
law To Abolish County Tax Collect
e Tho third of the three bills, pr