Milford chronicle., 1921-04-01
LEGISLATURE PASSES
A new SCHOOL LAW
HOUSE BILL RUSHED THROUGH SENATE
DURING The CLOSING HOURS LATE
LAST FRIDAY NIGHT.
25C. ON $lOO TAX FEATURE
BURDEN ONEREAL ESTATE IS EASED
AND CORPORATIONS MUST PAY
SCHOOL TAX.

Delaware has new school law an,
also new tax law to dovetail wifi
the school law to raise funds to oper
ate the schools. This, of course. de-
pends on the action of the Governor
as to whether or not he signs the two
bills passed by the Legislature.
After many weeks of work anG
lighting in the Legislature, the House
last Friday afternoon passed what is
now generally known as the House
school bills, one of them providing for
the raising of taxes to run the schools
and the other the administration of tbo
school system.
The House Democrats Dassed hotb
of these measures by a partisan vote
and they were then sent to the Sem
ate. The bills were prepared bv Char
les F. Curley and r. r. Kennev. rem
resenting the Democratic members of
the House.
They were sent to the Senate Fri
day night, and both bills, while being
under fire to some extent, were pass
ed by that body. The tax provision
bill was passed by a unanimous vote.
and the school bill by vote of 12 to
5.
After the passage of the tax bill
the school bill was Immediately plac-
ed on final passage.
Senator Alice, who was the first IN
speak on the bill, claimed that the
position of the Democratic members
OF the House had not been consist
ent. One of the changes he pointed
out in the House bill compared to the |
new bill sent to the House by the
Senate was in the naming of the State !
Board of Education. The Senate bill, /
he said, provided for four members to |
be elected and one to be appointed.
The House bill provides for the ap-
pOintment of all four members by the
Governor. When the original House
bill introduced some weeks ago and
defeated was up for final action, Sen
ator Alice said an amendment was Of
fered to that bill providing for an ap-
pointive board. Only three members
voted for that amendment and now
they send bill to the House with
the unanimous vote of the Democratic
members providing for an appOintive ]
board which they had voted against in '
the original bill.
He said the House bill does away /
with County Boards but provides to '
pay the State Board members S25 for
attending meeting once a month, i
while under the present law and the n
bill defeated, the State Board and the
County Board members would receive ~
but $40 for attending meeting. He M
could not see how that was any saw
ing of money. Senator Alice maintain
ed that the bill was not as Democrat u
ic as the bill sent by the Senate to the II
House. The budget feature, he said,
remains the same as in the original h;
bill, it being necessary to bring it to te
he Legislature for approval.
DR.. R. w. Cooper, who assisted in p
irawing the original bill, introduced b
n the House, was questioned by Sena- CT
or Alice as to changes in this bill
compared with the original. He said w
he supervision of high schools out in
ide Wilmington is placed in the State M
Board; property of school districts
eturned to the districts and that of :.
he County Boards to the State Board. NJ N.
he State Treasurer under this bill t.t t.t
S treasurer of the State Board will III
e required to draw all checks and SUI
ervisOrs and attendance officers are sp
OF mentioned in the bill. nu
Senator Robertson questioned DR.. VeI
oOper as to the distribution of funds
nder this bill and brought out that MI
is the same as under the original sh;
ii. Mi
Senator Short offered his amend ing
ent which provided for five mem JOl
er State Board, four to be elected \
Id one appointed by the Governor. que
Notwithstanding the fact that the Kat
nendment was defeated, Senator Ma
tort made one of the best speeches Ma
advocating it that has been made Jan
the floor of the Senate this session. and
He said the amendment was offered I d
give the House a chance to correct DIS
lat he considered was an error in -. -
2 drafting of the bill. Senator Short So;[ CT
mt into the history of the drafting NJ. nj.
the original bill, defeated by the 80 UT-'
use, of the naming by the hold d.
er Senators of a citizens committee On On
i of that committee drawing the w
|. He then referred to the action of Jam
House in defeating an amendment mel
an appointive board with only ware
ee members voting for it. MOO
enator Short declared that prac- neIG
lily every member of the body was COIit
record in favor of State RoarJ days
,ted by the people and not ap- JOl
lted by the Governor. He said in resel
9ral districts usually having a delpl
Re Republican majority Democrats plies
won out on the issue of being for few
elective board, State Board di- ents,
ly responsible to the people. mess
snator Short said the Democratic I
lber of the House from one of the SPU
sex districts, was elected on the
es of taking the burden of taxes N oo,
school purposes off real estate .OIll .Nl
for an elective board that would LINEN -
to the people. Continu- tnaC
Senator Short said: GiSllld VI
-e has not kept faith with Repub- iTero'. TI,or !
s who split their ticket to elect 0, =
asked some Republicans to vote 30, :
him because the Republican ~, %,
d not make the pledge until the 800, ~. U1
minute and I would not then ask fbor
0ne to vote for him." The Demo- S+o+a,l S--,-te
in Baltimore hundred, he declar- s''it ~
as elected on the same issue and c,'.-,,,,. noS "
that he has now gone back on -
'omise and every Republican who
d to elect him.
ator Short told of attending a
ng in Harrington during the The
Continued on page two) CenIur