Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-31
NEW CASTLE CO.
RIPPER" BILL IN
1t Provides for Three Commits
sioner Levy Court Instead Of
One of Seven Members.
StAff Correspondence of Every Evening

introduced IN the House OF ftepTcSeuAst-
tives yesterday afternoon. 1t abolishes the
present Levy Court of seven members and
substitutes a three-mcmber commission.
The members are to be elected from new
districts, which are designated as follows
First district. the city of Wilmington;
second, Brandywine, Christians, Mill
Creek and New Castle hundreds; Third,
the remainder of the county. Under
the act the three members were elected two
years ago will serve their terms out. They
are Messrs Stctser, Shaw and Mccoy.
Their successors would be chosen at the
election in 1922 and would assume their
offices the first Tuesday in January, 1928.
The term is To be four years, as at present.
The annual salary is fixed at $1,000.
How much success this bill will have is
problematical as some of the members
say all "rippcrs' will have to wait for the
regular session. This applies to the Kent
county ripper as well
REPLIES TO NEWSPAPER CRITICISM.
Senator Palmer. rising to a question OF
personal privilege in the Senate, yester-
day afternoon, referred to articles publish
cd by the Evening journal of Wilmington
on Monday He said the articles did IN
Justice to Daniel j. Layton, Jr., chairman
of the Republican State Central Commit
tee. and indirectly. if not directly, re-
fiectcd on the Senators and Representa-
tIvCs from Sussex county. He character
lied the stories as brutal attacks and stat
ell they could not have been more unfair.
lie likened them TO walking behind man
and stabbing him in the back He declared
the references to the Sussex legislators
were absolutely false and told the Senate
that MIR Layton had never advised him
and he believed had never advised any
other legislator how to vote on woman's
suffrage He announced that the Sussex
county members of the Legislature re-
son:cd the attacks on themselves and
Mr. Layton
II was settled in the House yesterday
afternoon that skeleton bills Will not be
admitted One was introduced. un-
consciously by Representative Francis,
amending the New Castle County Board
of Assessment law Mr. Francis said he
had been asked by telephone to submit
such a bill but though he was not familiar
with the details he didn't know they were
not in the bill After the reading had be
gun. however and il was found there was
! Othing but the title and the enacting
clause. Speaker Corbit announced that II
could not be accepted.
DO | understand" Mr. McNabb
asked. that skeleton bills cannot be
introduced
"A bill cannot be received. the Speaker
replied, with only the title and the enact
inc clause
Later in the day Mr. Frarc introduced
Two bills amending the county assessment
law One requires the members of the
lard to act IS unit in all cases, and the
other with efficiency and economy in the
;,s5 ssing of all property"
u, fbp House tho commit toe or, rraftpI-
opal corporations reported ION its mer-
is a bill amending the Public Utility
Commission act Of Wilmington by re-
moving the district residence require
ments of members. Under the present
law one commissioner must come from
each Of the FIVE representative districts
Mr. McNabb introduced a bill in the
House yesterday afternoon providing for
an cight-hour day for Wilmington police
men after July /, 1920.
Other bills were introduced in the House
as follows:
BY Mr. Lvons-lncreasing TO $1,000 |
the amount the Department OF Elections |
Cf Wilmington can spend.
Mr. Francis of prohibition |
and parole in social vice cases.
II. :. Smith-Authorizing Georgetown |
To borrow $4,000 for street improve
ments
MIR Observation-Disclosures the /
Levy Court of New Castle county to bor-
row S67 .O0n to make the old B. & O. |
bridge in Wilmington a public traffic
bridge
The House passed its first bill yester-
tlay afternoon II was Mr. Quigley's
House bill increasing the pay of the city
clerk OF New Castle from 81 200 TO S1,501 /
year.
Other bills were passed as follows:
Mr.. Jakes' bill to permit the town Of
Camden TO raise s. 600 a year by taxa
tion, exclusive of dog tax
Mr. Jakes' bill increasing the tax limit
Of Wyoming from 81 500 70 $1,000 year
House bills were reported from commit
tees in the House as follows.
Refunding liquor licenses from July /,
last, when wartime prohibition became |
effective, A law was passed at the last /
session refunding licenses from January,
when the national prohibition law went |
into effect.
Increasing the pay of the State proba- |
tion officers, now limited 10 81 200, to |
81 800 within the discretion Of the court |
Representative Buckson introduced |
bill providing for the erection Of a memor-
ial building for all of the soldiers and sailors
of Delaware. 1t makes an appropriation
of $4,000 and provides that the building
shall be erected in Dover on a State street
site which Eas been purchased by the
American Lfgion for $1,000. 1t is 70 be
erected by a commission of five, including
the governor, who appoints the other four.
LIGHT TRAFFIC. HIGHWAY.
Representative Danzenbaker has intro
duced an act authorizing the Levy Court
of New Castle county, on the recommenda-
tion of the county road engineer, TO desig-
nate any highway or portion thereof in the
county as a light traffic highway and to
restrict the weight carried thereon to 600
pounds per inch of tread of tire wheel
during the period from December l TO
May /, or portion thereof in any year, and
making it unlawful, except by special
permission obtained from the Levy Court,
TO carry any greater weight per inch of
tread of tire per wheel on any highway so
designated. Any person violating the
provisions, the act says, shall be deemed
guilty Of a Inisdemeanor and on convic-
ton thereof shall be fined not less than IS
or more than 500 for the first offense
and for any subsequent offense, in addi-
ton To the fine, at the discretion Of the
court, may be imprisoned not more than
one month