Smyrna times., 1930-12-17
PROPOSE LAW To LET STATE
GOVERN ALL THREE COUNTIES
ACT WOULD, 1T is CLAIMED,
SAVE MUCH EXPENSE
Some Citizens Demur Because 1t
Would Be hoo Much a Centrali-
zatiOn-POIiticians Against It

Some Citizens Demur Because III
Would Be kOo Much a CentraIi-
zatiOn-POIiticians Against 1t
A drastic bill to do away with
the three County Governments in
Delaware will be presented to the
Legislature when it convenes next
month. The tentative draft pro-
vides that the State be ruled by a
commission comprised of five men,
including the Governor. The spon-
sors of the measure point out that
the population of the State is but
25O,OOO in an area of 2700 square
miles, divided into New Castle,
Kent and Sussex counties. The
chief argument for the change is
the question of expense. AS it is
now there are three county seats
with three courthouses filled with
office holders. With the small pop
ulation and area it is held that all
this is unnecessary and wasteful
/ Despite all the claims made for
the new plan of government, it is
not thought that the measure has
much chance of becoming a law
Politicians will oppose it because
it would result in fewer jobs for
the faithful" County spirit will
be another obstacle difficult to
overcome. 1t is admitted, how
ever, that for the county spirit the
people are paying twice as much
in taxes. The seat of County
Government would have to be es-
tablished in one of the counties,
and this will revive the old feeling
between those living in Whining
ton and those in the lower part of
the state. Some of the latter who
have been approached say that the
State Administration should be di-
rected from Dover, which is about
midway in the State. However,
half Of the population of the State
is in Wilmington, most of the bust
ness is there and it is claimed that
the majority should not be injured
for the benefit Of the minority
The city is but three hours away
from any point in the state. There
is no plan to take away from Do
yer the honor of being the capital
of the State. The first test of
public sentiment on the question
was made this week, when the
matter was laid before the State
Grange by former Governor Rob
ert Robinson. 1t was tabled by
the Resolutions Committee.
Governor Buck Condemns System
The existing system of county
government in Delaware came in
for strong condemnation by the
Governor, who at the annual din
ner of the Tax Payers Research
League in Wilmington Monday
night, said "the system of our
county government is almost what
it was in Colonial days. The waste /
Of money it entails startles the i'm
agination. I don't understand how
the public and the public in this i
instance is everyone who pays
property taxes which pays the /
bill is content to sit by and see it
60 on" In this connection the
Governor cited the fact that each i
county in Delaware maintains its
own road building commission, al +
though the State has appropriated .
25 millions Of dollars for improved +
roads. Remove road building from
the jurisdiction of the county Levy
Courts declared Governor Buck,
"and you remove political patron
age and the courts chief work for
which there seems to be hardly
any excuse. 1 sometimes wonder
how much longer our Levy Courts
will be permitted to survive.
One Man for State; Is for County
''We elect one man every four
years to run the affairs of the
State; and 13 men to conduct the
business of the counties; and we
pay three times as much for this
service for the counties as for the
State. I hope l am not unduly
oreiudiced, but 1 don't know; and
would like to have explained to me
why it is necessary to have 13 Of
icers look after the counties af-
fairs, principally road work as far
rs the Levy Courts are concerned"