The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-03-17
IN THE LEGISLATURE.
Matters Of Interest in Upper and
Lower Houses.

lheuE'6Ov. Stearns calleu 1hc poh"'o w
order this morning. Senator Read pre-
sented by request an act in amendment OF
an act nppropriating money for tie Rhode
Island School of Design. The amendment
appropriates e,ooO annually, an increase
OF $500 annually.
Senator Kenyon introduced M amend
ment TO chapter "a of the Public Statutes,
"Of the Revenue OF the State. The
amendment provides for the increase OF
the tax OIL bank deposits from - 10 oo
cents on the 800. Referred TO the COM
mittee on finance
Senator B. "A. Andrews for the commit
tee on corporations reported back the act
Incorporating the Aborn Flltering Com
pany, also All act Incorporating the hart
we'll, Richards Company, both OF wnlch
were passed in concurrence. senator
Kenyon presented the petition t OF nnnrno Ionn n.
rating the Narragansett Crate anu lile
Company. Referred to the committee on
corporations.
Also the petition Of r. I. McAulife
and others for an act Incorporating the
Ajax Iron Works. Referred to the COM
mittee on corporations.
a message was received from the House
announcing the passage OF several acts
Senator Bull presented the petition OF
William G. Buell. and others Tor an act
Incorporating the Pneumatic Bell speak
ing Tube Company. Referred 10 the COM
mittee on corporations.
senator Garvin introduced an act In
amendment OF chapter IA OF the PuDllc
Statutes, "Of the Governor" as follows
sEcTIoNl. At the May session of the General
tor an Inspector OF beet and pork, inspector Of
line an nspeetor Of .eyihe stones & AMI an ins so1or OF
sterin Tor eaS county as many potaries & papc @ ior
other officer. as are now required by law to be elect
SEC. 2. The Governor shall have the power TO
remove any oifcer whom he may appoint in case OF
ofilce. and he may dec are his once vacant,
ned by appointment Of the Govern; % r. he shall sp,
point some person 70 M sueh Office and any person
be appointed aud qaailied.
This is practically the same act that was
introduced at the January session of 1892
Referred to the committee on the judi
ciary.
Senator Bull for the committee on cor
porations reported back with resolutions
of continuance the petition for an act in
cooperating the Ajax Iron Company, an
act Incorporating the Pneumatic Bell
Speaking Tube Company and the Nara
gansett Crate and Tile Company. Con-
tinued as recommended.
Tho House of Representatives.
The act amending Chapters 507, 627,
CAB and OBS of the Public Laws referring
to the State Board of Agriculture, was
m %ade 'so ths special order for Tuesday next
An act transferring the care OF the
North Burial Grounds from the present
commissioners to the city council OF Prov
idence, was referred 10 the judiciary.
The act Incorporating the Gardiner
Company, of Providence, was referred to
the next legislature, with an order of no.
tice.
Mr.. Lowe Of Providence, introduced an
act to promote the purity of the ballot.
Referred to the committee on the judici-
ary. This act provides that the State shall
provide for every voting precinct in every
city and town a new ballot box known as
the Federal ballot box, now in use in
Massachusetts,.
Several matters from the Senate were
received, passed in concurrence, or referred
| to the proper committees.
The Tockwotten Boat Club act of incor-
poration was passed; also the act incor-
porating the Columbian Club.
Acts TO incorporate the Pomroy Coal Co.
and the l.. III. Gage Co., were referred to
| the committee on corporations.
Mr.. Peirce OF Warwick introduced an
acr in amendment of Chapter IA OF the
Public Statutes referring to gauging. 1t
WAS referred to the judiciary. The bill
provides that all persons who place
gauging marks upon casks, who have not
the authority to do SO, shall forfeit 500
for each offence, and that all persons sell
ing commodities not gauged under the
| provisions of this act, shall forfeit the
| value of said commodities. The law does
| not, however, refer TO petroleum to he
shipped for sale out of the State.
The petition of the Woonsucket Christ
| ian Alliance for local option and the re-
| storation of the schoolhouse clause in the
| LIQUOR license law, was referred to the
mittee on special legislation.
Prevention of Blindness.
The Judiciary Committee gave hear
| ing yesterday To those interested in the
! passage of an act for the Prevention of
Blindness concerning which considerable
| curiosity had been aroused from ignor-
ance of the scope and intent of the bill. =.
| Drs. +. r. Rogers, Horace G. Miller and
Sayer Hasbrouck appeared before the COM
| mittee and urged its passsge.
| Briefly the argument advanced was that
| blindness was increasing in a startling
manner and altogether out of proportion
TO the increased population. According
| to statistics advanced by DR.. Rogers
| blindness was increasing in the whole
| United States 40 per cent. every ten years,
| in New York l25 per cent, in Rhode Island
| 14s per cent, while the population in
creased only about 25 per cent. 23
per cent OF the whole number OF blind
| are made so by the ravages of one disease.
| ophthalmia neonatorunl-whichi is rapidly
fatal to sight if not recognized and treated
early in its progress. DIR. Rogers stated
| that in fourteen cases seen at the Rhode
Island Hospital twenty-five eyes were
lost and seven children made totally blind
by this disease becruSe of neglect of mid
wives to recognize the disease and call for
proper treatment.
DR.. Miller urged that this disease is
curable il only treated early, and that the
effect of this bill would be to call atten-
tion to the dangers of neglect that il was
i'm the interests of no one, but was rather
for humanity.
DR.. Hasbrouck agreed with the other
oculists and cited cases from his own
practice to prove the assertions made.