Smyrna times., 1923-01-03
DELAWARE ASSEMBLY MEETS
DEMOCRATS HOLD BOTH HOUSES
DISPUTE ARISES OVER ATTOR-
NEYS, THE ONLY FRICTION
Legislature Ready for Business,Is Pre-
pairing to Consider Many Bills
Republican PerfunctOry Slate

Republican PerfunctOry Slate
The Delaware Legislature met in BIZ
ennial Session at Dover yesterday and
for the next sixty or more days will
be the center of interest. Harry
Slaughter of Smyrna, representative
for this district, took his seat in the
House as did George Pratt of Kenton
Hundred and Howard Jones of Black
bird Hundred. Charles w. Hardesty, |
Dover, succeeds Senator L. M. Price of |
Smyrna, as representative of this dis
trict in the Senate. The officers. .elec
ted and sworn in in both branches of
the General Assembly follow: Senate
President pro tenn, c. d. Murphy,
Harrington; secretary or chief clerk,
Ralph H. Wingate, Rehoboth; reading
clerk, William H. Janvier, st. Georges;
bill clerk, Walter E. Donovan, Town
send; sergeant-at-arms, George E.Col-
lier, Sussex county; telephone messen-
ger, William Shackell, Leipsic; chap
lain, the Rev. Avery Donovan, Dover
NJ. P. Church; page, Fred Bertrant,
Dover; stenogpapher, Miss Helen Hor-
sey, Dover; and Miss Helen Beckwith,
Harrington. House officers-Speaker,
S. N. Culver, Delmar; chief clerk, John
w. White, New Castle; floor leader,
]. Rogers Holcomb, New Castle; read
ing clerk, ]. Seward Daley, West Dow
er; sergeant-at-arms, Thomas Sperry,
Frederick; bill clerk, Leo Truitt, Mil
ford; chaplain, the Rev. c. w. Clark,
Clayton; telephone messenger, James
Brady, Wilmington; page, John w.
Ford, Smyrna; stenographer, Miss
Pauline Carson, Dover; Miss Helen
Beckwith. James H. Hughes and
Henry Ridgely were nominated at
torneys by the House to serve jointly
in both the House and Senate, but the
latter body wanted William Salisbury
for attorney. Another caucus will
probably be held with a new deal all
the way around.
Some of the Bills to Be introduced
So far the following are the mea-
sures being prepared and considered
for introduction early in the session:
New city charter for Wilmington, pro-
viding for commission form of gov
ernment with city manager. Larger
representation for Wilmington in botE
the House and Senate. Zoning mea
sure for Wilmington, backed by the
City Council; Revision of the schoo
code of the State, which provides fol
twenty-three amendments; Elimina
tion of the Court of Chancery and tht
creation of Court of Common Pleas
Amendment to the child labor laws
raising the age for those employed il
hazardous occupation. Budget of $5,
100000 for the State Board of Educa
tion for two years. Measure author
izing the State Board of Education t.
issue bonds for $3,000,000 to erect ney
school buildings for white pupils. Re
, peal of the So filing fee, which nov
goes to the education fund of tn
State. Abolition of the Levy Cour
, of New Castle County and providing
! for commissioners. Parole law fo
prisoners, providing that when the
: have served half of their sentenc
they may be paroled. Prisoners ser
, fenced for life would be paroled whe
. they had served fifteen years. I'm
!, form law for fishermen of Delawar
: : and New Jersey who fish in the Dels
ware River. Abolition of the whiI
, ping post and bill giving the coul
power to sentence to be whipped thos
j convicted of driving an automobil
, while intoxicated. Bill providing fC
an absentee or permanent registratio
g doing away with the registratio
every two years. Change in the Stat
aid highway act to aid in the constru'
tion of lateral roads not running e.
d actly east and west. Separate Stat
Ie prison for women. Measure providin
n for public defender for those arres
N ed and not having sufficient funds
& employ an attorney. Besides the!
'r bills, there may be Investigations
I'd the State Highway Department al
S the Department of Elections for Wi
a mington. Both of these were indica
re ed at the caucuses of the member
TX elect of the Legislature held soon a
Il ter the election.
,n State Appropriations to Be Slashe'
as All signs point to the slashing
: the appropriations bills, including tn
= of the State Board of Education.
~ ~ is not expected that the bond issue
~ ~ $3,000,000 will be allowed. An issl
y for a smaller amount may be san
!. toned, however. One of the probler
- puzzling the legislators is how
+. make up the deficit in the school fun
n if the filing fee is repealed. Bo
:, parties are pledged to repeal it. L
~ ~ law has been very unpopular, but
10 is admitted that it does reach eve
90 adult in the State, male and fema
N Heretofore the burden has been CO
r-iad hxy +ha~ rrona1tv owners and