Smyrna times., 1927-02-16
FILING FEE SEEMS DOOMED TO
DEFEAT BY THE LEGISLATURE
BOTH PARTIES ARE PLEDGED TO
REPEAL THE PRESENT LAW
Thing is to Find Something to Take
It's Place as a Revenue Producer
Loss of 100000 to Schools Yearly

Its Place as a Revenue Producer
Loss of 100000 to Schools Yearly
Had it not been for the intervention
Of some members Of the State Senate
Friday afternoon, House bill No. /,
the act designed to repeal the exist
ing law providing for the So filing fee
would have been passed by the House
Of Representatives They took steps
to force a delay in the matter solely
to save Governor Robert P. Robinson
from having to shoulder the response
bility Of signing or vetoing this meas
ure with some provision having been
made to provide for the revenue the
state would lose should the So filing
fee be abolished. Both political par
ties are pledged to repeal this So fill
ing fee. However, the leaders of
both parts are cognizint of the fact
that something will have to be pro-
vided to take its place. The So filing
fee brings into the state treasury
net revenue of something like $780,
900 or more annually which is used
for school purposes and to cut off this
revenue at one blow is acknowledged
to be more than the treasury could
stand
Many People Against the Filing Fee
Leaders of the Senate and House
and of the Democratic and Republi-
can parties feel confident, they say,
that some plan of taxation can be de
vised for school purposes that will be
just and equitable and acceptable to
the residents of the state. They are
aware Of the intense and general pub
lie feeling from one end of the state
to the other against tn So filing fee
and the provisions Of the law which
created it and which provides for its
collection and they are all keenly anx-
ious that it be eliminated. At the
same time they recognize the fact
that the state cannot do without this
revenue and that means will have to
be found to raise an equal amount but
they are hoping to discover a plan
that will be acceptable to everyone
and which will not create the hostility
On the part Of the residents at large
that the filing fee has caused. Such
a measure is to be presented to the
Legislature. It will be graduated
income tax SO arranged that it will
not be burden upon anyone and to
which no resident of Delaware can
justly take exception. It is under
stood it will eliminate women, except
those employed and supporting them
selves, and also eliminate all depen-
dents. 1t will allow certain exemp-
tions for wage earners and will con-
tain many other features not incor-
porated in the present filing fee law.
Delay Action Until dupont Bill Is In
Members of the Legislature are
anxious to know what is to be provid-
ed in the new tax bill which P S. du-
Pont has compiled and is to submit to
the General Assembly. They are at
a loss to understand why it has not
been sent to Dover before this. One
reason advanced for postponing ac-
ton on the filing fee repeater was
that they should wait until Mr.. du-
Points bill makes its appearance so
they could seew hat it contains. When
this bill is to be sent to Dover, is not
known. At all events the So filing
fee is doomed to go. It's repeal is as
sured and unless there is speedy ac-
tion it will be repealed without wait
ing for the adoption of some other
plan to take its place. Many mem
bers have been sent to the Legisla-
ture on the promise that they would
vote to repeal this tax and they are
understood to be ready to make good
their promise in this respect regard
less Of whether some other form Of
tax is provided or not.