Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-04
CODE COMMISSION
SEEKS MORE Time
Will Ask the Legislature, Tomor'
row, to Give it Two Addi-
tional Weeks.
s,af Correspondence or Every Evening

etafr Correspondence or Every Evening
DOVER, May 4.
The Legislature will be asked tomor row
TO give the School Code revisers two NOR
weeks for work.
Copi = of sections as tentatively smcnd-
ed are being printed for the revisers.
Few persons came here yesterday after
noon to suggest code amendments.
!. G.. Brown Of Wyoming said there
is a great deal of misunderstanding rela-
tive to the transportation of pupils 10
school He thought detouring of the
boulevard was one disadvantage to Kent
countians.
T.. +. Melvin of Frederick INQUIRED
concerning the nomination of members
of the county Board of Education and
was referred to section 90 of the code,
which SAYS: "The county school election
shall be by ballot, and the names of the
candidates for election to the county Board
of Education shall be entered on the ballot
alphabetically and without party designa-
ton. Nominations shall be made by
petition, containing the written names
of not less than 25 qualified voters of the
respective county. outside of the special
school districts in the county, and such
petition shall be filed with the clerk of
the peace not later than Is days prior
to the time of the school election. The
ballots and other needed election supplies
shall be provided by the clerk of the
peace"
f.. +. Killen of FELTON, suggested inn
provement of school transportation facili-
ties and equalization of school taxes.
Theodore Townsend of Milford de-
plored domineering by individual school
districts He advocated unit school
a. fox 10 II
supervision. He thought too much power
could not be given to a State Board of
Education composed of the right class
of men.
Pierre S. du Pont said no one, In view
Of the necessity for schools. could find
fault with a so cent tax rate on real estate
and two Der cent ircome tax rate
Clifford NJ Simpler of Felton stated
no man would invest 5000 In a farm if
he did not think it would yield 10 or II
per cent interest.
ID. NJ Wilson of Dover said its tax
payers would not object to 80 cent tax
rate.
Mr. Melvin requested that burden
not be put elsewhere while decreasing
the tax on real estate.
Declaration was made that citizen
OF Dover. reported to have S500,OO0
invested in bonds and mortgages paws
cnlv income tax, not being subject to
real estate tax because he owns no real
property.
Mrs. w. L. Bitter of Bay Road suggested
that the code be amended by substitute
ing the words compulsory education"
for the words compulsory attendance"
She declared the school attendance officer
is a nuisance. Being an invalid she want
cd her l3-year-old daughter to stay at
.~I L. III
do housework and have time for study
Mrs. Clara Rash of Bay Road opposed
compulsory school attendance because
her sons are needed on the farm. She
thought cooking and sewing should be
taught at home, instead of at school
Mr.. Melvin suggested that the schools
be kept open only nine months In each
year.
]. V. McCommons of Wyoming pro-
posed 5l5 days as a school week and 100
days as a school term.
Mr.. Simpler held that teachers should
not be required TO work on Saturday. |
A. r. Spaid, State commissioner of edu- |
cation, made an earnest plea for child |
hood. He opposed q school session on |
Saturday. saving the children should |
have that day for recreation. He stated |
that with lS0-dsy term child would |
finish the eighth grade on reaching the |
age of Ii wears. he declared the school |
term could run until the middle of June |
without hurting anyone.
SCHOOL FINANCES.
MIR. Spaid presented to the code re-
visers. a statement concerning school /
finances from which the following is /
quoted:
According TO a report from Washington /
on amount OF income tax paid by the |
forty-eicht States In 1916, Delaware is /
ranked first, the income tax amounting /
to S1S.27 per capita. The following /
eight States are gwen In their order as |
10 the amount of income tax paid TO the |
Federal government IN 1916:
l. Delaware.
. New York.
s. Rhode Island.
4. Massachusetts.
5 Oklahoma.
6. Connecticut.
Z. Pennsylvania.
s. Nevada.
In spite of the fact that Delaware |
stood first In this rating, it stood thirty |
second as 10 the amount per pupil paid /
for on average daily attendance In the |
public schools In 1916. In other words, |
Delaware spent $34- 90 on each pupil, |
while twenty-four States paid $50 or |
more per pupil.
In 1919 the State of Delaware paid |
TO the Federal government IN income |
taxes $40 262, ,7o7, which was equivalent /
to 800. 15 for every man, woman and |
child In the State, Again Delaware
ranked first: New York, second; Nevada,
thud; Massachusetts,, fourth; Connect
cut. fifth; Arkansas, sixth; Pennsylvania, |
seventh, and Ohio, eighth. Delaware /
last year spent s50.S0 per pupil on an
average daily attendance. 1t has been
impossible TO learn what many OF the /
other States paid per pupil on an average
daily attendance except the following, |
which paid 'Incre than Delaware Penn
sylvania, rsnking seventh, paid S94.95
per pupil: Wyoming, which ranked
twenty-fifth IN wealth., paid ss4 per
pupil; Washington, ranking sixteenth |
In wealth, paid $50 per pupil; while our
neighbor, New Jersey. ranking fourteenth
in wealth paid S54 AZ per pupil.
y In l9f7 Delaware appropriated for |
public educataon 1867 ,042O6, which was
26.5 per cent of her total income In /
1918 she spent 1885,, ,36s.54, which was