Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-16
Evening Yesterday i 1fOOL
Are They Getting Prepared?


The General Assembly of Delaware will
convene at Dove on Tuesday, January
4. 1921. which will be two weeks from
next Tuesday. That is not long in
term. but in respect of preparing meas
ures for submission to the Legislature 1t
should be a busy one, il il Is desired 10
have a session fruitful of results beneficial
10 the people.
While II is difficult 10 conceive of much
legislation that can be set down As actual
lv necessary, already there are indications
that . perfect flood Of bills viii be launch
I'D at Dover during the session, especially
towards the close. And all will be vlgor-
ously backed by interests that will insist
the eternal salvation Of the State depends
upon their enactment
But how many measures can be set
down as absolutely necessary? Here IS
one answer:
For the proper and efficient amend
nent of the School law.
For the inauguration Of the budget sys-
tenn.
For new charter for the city Of vii
mington.
For the consolidation and oo-ordina-
ton Of the enormously largo number Of
board and commission bodies.
For the appropriations for State pur-
poses for two years.
These. we may say are essentials Ihe
people need them. But, after all, no
matter how desirable other measures Of
legislation might prove, can it Justly be
IS nj tha. anything further is really neces-
sary?
accumulated. the bulk Of it showed IN
barely in time to escape exclusion by the
time limit for the introduction Of new
uUnens This is a most unbusinessllke
procedure, but il has been the iIivarlabie
rule for many sessions.
Members Of the Legislature may, II
they viii, do much 20 expedite business
and make the session memorable, by SO
arr.Dgins their affairs ns 70 hsve ample
time st the Capital for attention 10 work
They cannot, however, do this by leaving
Dover each afternoon, not returning IN
I'll the next nc ming This farce q lazi-
ness and Indifference 10 public interests
has been the rule for long tim G Mem
berr OF the session Of 1921 should resolve
firmly upon inaugIrsting reform by
stsyinR in Dove at nights, 50 as 70 have
tine fo- full consideration # all measures
But whether necessary or not, many
meaa1-es viii be introduced, and as the
nfl;ction is inevitable, the next thing In
order IS Their introduction at sd early date,
90 that the members of the Legislature
rnay have time 10 give them serious con
sideration and enact those that may
prove tc have merit All others should
be sternly set aside
Measures for presentation to the legs
lstive session should be resdy with the
opening dav, or al least during the opening
~eek. There Is no ress son TO believe the next
Sss.on, of Itself. viii be materially dr-
ferent from liz predecessors for many
vea-s, and that means q period ~ IDLE
e~at first, followed by an insensate rush
during the clnsirg days 10 dispose of a
great mass Of business that vii have
What 6ne thing it would be to have
the former system Of legislative sessions
holding from Monday morning TO Fuday
afternoon throughout The Legislative pc
nod once mrre IN practice. he people
ny this reform, would have some oppOr-
tunity 70 look after their interests Dele
cations could 20 to Dover IN support 81
good measures, or n opposition 10 those
they regarded as improper Or unneces-
sary, with an assurance Of ample time fo'
hearings. In the olden days IT was not
unusual to gee a delegation Of q hundred
or more Interested cit zens from lower
Delaware assemble at Dover for Q com
nnittee hearing on ditch bill or some other
matter of local legislation The subject
might seem trivial 20 others but to then
il was one of importance, as it afetec
Their local interests And SO with al
other measures affecting citizens Of varl
oue sections of the State.
But the main thing is 70 have all i'm
pOI NlGdS4ifc k14tpEANA ~ bANAA~ ~
early introduction. They should be il
course Of preparation now A committed
is working on new charter measpTe f.
Wilmington. and it is expected ats labor
Will be completed by the opening of IT,
New Year. With this and other measure
ready IN time, the members would hay
someth ng to engage their attention froI
the start
So let eli who are II terested IN IegIsls
ton get to work, if they have not yet start
ed. 1t viii be possible to make the comrl
session Of the legislature 'red letter
one in resi- ect Of good service 70 the pub
lie if all concerned will work sincerely t
that end