Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-22
PROPOSED REVISION
INTERESTING TOPIC
House of Representatives Consid-
ers Various Amendments to
the School Code.
staff Correspondence of Every Evening

DOVER, MAY %.
The House of Representatives, IN COM
mittee of the whole, yesterday afternoon,
continued discussion of amendments to
the School Code as proposed by the
Legislative Commission on Code Revision:
Suggestion that school tax rebates and
penalties be uniform in the three counties
WAS referred to the attorneys who are
putting the proposed amendments In bill
form.
George L. Medill, a member OF the
New Castle County Board of Education,
doubted whether minimum county
school tax rate of so cents on each slou
of real estate assessment would be SUI
ticient.
Several persons opposed referendum on
school tax rates in special school districts.
During discussion OF home rule there
was cited a proposed amendment author,
izing local school trustees TO BUY iuei anu anu
furniture and employ and fix the salary
of ianitors and other employees except
teachers or principals. -
Pierre 5. du Pont, vlce-presldent OF the
State Board of Education, replying 70
Representative Hiram S. Smith, said local
school trustees prepare their budget on or
before January | for the ensuing school
vearand the County Board of Education
prepares its budget on or before February
/ and, In reply to Representative JACOB
l.. Soper, stated the County Board OF
Education is authorized to revise upward
or downward the budgets of local school
trustees.
Representative James T. Lloyd re-
marked that control would be taken from
local school trustees as there would pe no
certainty of their budgets standing.
Mr.. Nedill thought the County Board
Of Education should have authority TO
check local school trustees, and Speaker
Alexander p. Corbit expressed Ike opin-
ion.
Representative Smith demanded more
self-government for Sussex county lie
declared Sussex will get it and said II
might as we'll be given now as later. lie
arg1Ied that If local school trustees are
carable of making school budgets, they
are CAPABLE of spending school money
REPRESENTATIVE Soper said the code
must be made liberal to become popular.
Ronresentative William Lyons, Jr.,
stated local school districts are getting all
On suggestion of ]. V. McCommons,
member Of the Board of Education OF the
Cesar Rodney special school district, i
was decided to propose as an amenaihen'
that an elementary school teacher GER
tihcate of the second grade be valid for
two years IN tIle eicAASAlN%aA
special school districts.
Representative Lloyd questioned the
proprietv of compensating both teacher
and substitute when teacher Is Ill
REPRESENTATIVES William III. Danzen-
baker. John T. Buckson and Harvey "
Hastings recommended hberaLty IN this
respect.
Representative Soper held that teachers
should be supported when Ill II ther
salaries are not increased.
Representative Lloyd thought some
teachers might feign illness as an excuse
for going home for month
r Peet. member of the State Board
of Education, suggested that teachers get
physicians certificates when ILL.,
Julian c. Walker. Representative LY-
ons. Mr.. du Pont and Mr.. Peet proposed
that elementary school teachers GER
ti6cates be issued to applicants Is years
old 90 wears now is the mlnlmuml, ana
all the legislators present favored the
REPRESENTATIVE Clarence E. Jester,
REPRESENTATIVE Soper and MI Medlii
praised transportation OF school children,
and Mr.. McCommons recommended
establishment OF central meeting places
and erection Of shelters.
Charles s. Richards announced that an
absent legislator objected 10 removing
scholars from certain schools or districts
after reaching a certain grade
Mr.. du Pont said elementary school
teachers could not teach hlgh-grade
nuniIs. Commenting on high schools, ne
stated Wilmington has two and outside
the city there will be L. He advocated
cheap but good service and said the State
Board of Education is planning to put not
more than 40 pupils In one room:
The House adopted resolution re-
GREETING the death OF George b Glen
daniel father of Representative Harry f.
Clendaniel, and appointed representa-
tives Silas J. Warrington, Clarence r
lester. William Lyons, Jr., and jacob L.
SoDer a committee to attend the funeral,
House adjournment was taken until
Monday morning
PROPOSED RETRENCHMENT
Senator James T. Alice, Jr, next week
will urge passage of his bill providing that
hereafter no bonds constituting direct or
indirect obligations of the State, or OF any
county or school district IN the State, shall
he sold or negotiated or issued by the
officials or body Of officials authorized TO
sell negotiate or issue the same at less
than their nominal or face value, and no
such bonds shall by the terms thereof bear
interest at a greater rate than hye per cent
annum.
Owing to the unstable condition OF the
money market and the depreciation OF the
dollar. Senator Alice predicts that bank
ruptcv will stare the State IN the face un-
less something is done to halt the ex-
penditure of State funds. Citing the fact
that there was but one bidder and the
bid was S65, 900 below par when the State
Highway Department recently attempted
to float $500, 900 bond issue, he says the
State would have sacrificed S65, 900 had
the bid been accepted. He deplores the
possibility of lower bid when the bonds
are again offered He advocates that the
State follow the example of private bust
ness in retrenching. While the bill might
stop all highway work except where con-
tracts have been let, he believes that
would be safest. He suggests that the
bars be lifted when the money market
becomes normal.