Smyrna times., 1923-02-28
HIGHWAY RIPPER BILL PASSES
LOWER HOUSE BY PARTY VOTE
AIMS AT ABOLISHING PRESENT
STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Bill Creates a New Six Member BIZ
Partisan Board to Be Appointed
by the GOVernOr-Other Bills

PartaSan Board to BE Appointed
by the GOvernOr-Other Bills
Although all the Republican mem
bers of the House voted against it,
the House substitute for Representa-
tive Gray's bill to abolish the pres
ent State Highway Department and
create a new body was passed We'd
nesday by strict party vote. Under
the present law the State Highway
Department is composed of four mem
bers appointed by the governor, with
the Secretary of State as an eX-officio
member
Representative Gray's bill would
abolish the present board and author
ize the governor to appoint a bi-par-
tisOn board of six members, two from
each county of opposite political faith,
and no person holding a State Office
would be eligible for appointment.
The members of the board would be
appointed for two years.
The House committee on education
reported on its merits the bill of Rep
repentative McManus, which would
transfer from the Wilmington Board
of Education to City Council the auth
ority to determine the amount neces-
sary to be raised by taxation on the
personal and real estate of the city
for school expenses in any one year
up to seven mills on each one dollar
of the value Of the assessed property.
Representative Little's bill to pro-
vide State teachers retirement fund
was also reported on its merits.
Assessors Abolished
Representative Brogan's bill, to
abolish the Board of Assessment for
/ Wilmington and to transfer its as
sessing power to the New Castle
County Board of Assessment, was
passed unanimously by the House.
The House also passed Representa-
tive Collins bill giving road supervi-
sors and employees of the engineering
department of the Levy Court of New
Castle county the powers of a county
constable with regard to the protec-
tiOn of the roads from damage by
overloaded trucks. Under this act
these road supervisors are authorized
to compel the weighing of trucks that
they think exceed the legal weight.
The Senate bill making General
Election Day a legal holiday for
school purposes was passed by the
House.
The House passed Representative
Pettyjohn's bill authorizing the Town
Council of Milford to borrow $1,000
to improve the water and light plant
and system, and to issue bonds there
! for
The bill, introduced by Representa-
tive Collins, which would give a mar
! ried woman the right to establish her
domicile at another place than that
provided by her husband, was defeated
by unanimous vote of the House mem
bers. AIr. Collins said he had intro
duced the bill by request. 81 did not
think much of it then" he said, "and
| think less of it now"
Favor Gasoline Tax
Among the bills reported favorably
by House committees are the follow
ing:
Providing for a tax on motor fuels
for revenue for construction, recon
struction and maintenance of public
highways, introduced by Representa-
tive Lednum. The act would impose
tax of one cent a gallon on gasoline
during the remainder of 1923, and two
cents a gallon after January l, 1924.
An act requiring a report by the
trustees of the Middletown Academy,
introduced by Representative Davis,
ending the terms of Office of the pres
ent members of the board and provid-
ing for the election of a new board
The House unanimously passed the
Senate bill amending the charter of
Milford to permit women to vote in
town elections, and to require a ref
erendum vote on the question of bono