Evening journal., 1897-05-14
BLACK SIGNS BILLS.
Some New and Important New
York State Laws
THE REVISION OF VILLAGE STATUTES
The Code Affecting Labor Is Amended.
Violations Of the Weekly Payment
Clause Made Penal onense-sen-
ator Lexow on the Trusts.

Clause Made Penal onense--sen-
ator Lexow on the Trusts.
Albany, May 14.-Governor Black has
signed bill affecting every village In
the state and which has been two years
In preparation. II is a general revision
Of village laws and provides that an
enumeration OF the inhabitants Of each
village shall be taken under direction
of the board Of trustees in the month
of January. 1898, and in the same month
each fourth year thereafter. This
enumeration is taken for the purpose
OF establishing under which classiiica-
ton the village shall come.
The new law is 10 take effect July l.
Some essential changes are those divid-
ing the Villages into first, second, third
and fourth class-frst class containing
a population OF 5000 or more; second,
class, 5000, but less than 5000; third
class, 1000, but less than 5000; fourth
class less than 1000.
A village of the first class shall have
not less than two nor more than eight
trustees. second class not less than two
nor more than six, third class not less
than two nor more than four and fourth
class two trustees The term of Office
OF each trustee shall be two years, one
half Of the number in each board being
elected every year. All OF the trustees
in Office when this law takes effect
shall continue in Office till the first Mon
day after the third Tuesday of March.
! The bill also provides for the election
of trustees by wards. the proposition
being adopted by the people.
The office Of police justice and as
SCISSOR shall continue for the term for
which they were formerly elected. The
bill also provides for trustees to act as
assessors. or the board may appoint OF
its number a committee for that pur-
pose.
1t also provides for separate boards
Of fire. water, light, sewer and cemetery
commissioners.
New Labor Law.
Governor Black has also signed the
new labor law, a codifcation OF the
present labor laws. with some few
amendments. and the accompanying
bill providing that infringement of the
laws by manufacturing establishments
and employers shall be penal offenses
instead of mere misdemeanors. One Of
the most important parts OF the new
law is the amending Of the weekly pay
ment law TO make It more stringent.
Heretofore it has been found difficult
to enforce the law, because the actions
against corporations who violate had
to be brought by the state factory in
spector through the attorney general
TO recover for the state the penalty of
S25 for each violation. The present law
provides that il a corporation violates
the law requiring weekly payments Il
shall forfeit to each employee the sun
of S25, to be recovered by him in in
dividual civil suit against the company
: There is no penalty now for the refusa
of the proprietor OF any factory or work
= shop to allow the factory inspector b
. visit the establishment. but the presen
( bill provides a penalty OF 500 FOR sucl
] | refusal. The bill provides for a fret
S employment bureau to be established
in Buffalo similar to the one I'm New
York city.
Lexow and the Antitrust Law.
Senator Clarence Lexow. who intro
duced and secured the passage OF tn,
so called antitrust bills. is in the city
He said: Il am assured that the attor
D ney generals office win act prompt!
S under the new law and that their eff
cheney Will soon be attested. 1t is
e curious fact that thu most importan
q feature Of the bills has been over
looked. The bill compelling foreigi
7 stock companies 20 file annual report
the same as domestic corporation
. would not II that was its only provi
e sion, be Of much inconvenience to tn
;, foreign trusts doing business, but ther
l. Is a clause making personally liable 70
= all infringements of the laws Of tn
q state relative to combinations all or an
: director, officer or stockholders. Here
tofore, by Incorporating in New Jer
J. sey and only having agencies In thi
o state. it was difficult to prosecute ther
d and sometimes impossible"
p "Will not other states by passing re
- taliatory measures, injure New Yor
y corporations was asked.
"They might. II It was not a fact tina
this is the great market of the worl
and the majority Of our corporations
e their greatest business here. 1 believ
u many Of the states will copy our laws.
"A Poison Said to Have Been Found.
<. Norwich. Conn, May 14.-Corone
: Brown has received a communicable
from State Chemist Smith in connectio
with the case of Ebenezer Sholes, va
III rlous organs Of whose body Professc
n Smith has been examining with vie
10 to ascertainlng II possible the cause {
rs Sholes' sudden death on Saturday las
,- The coroner refuses TO disclose III