Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-17
MANY NEW ACTS OF 1915
ARE NOW VIRGINIA LAWS
State Code Is Enriched ut Mid
night With Nearly 500
Statutes.
SOME CHANGES ARE RADICAL
Measures Passed by Last General
Assembly and Approved by Gov
ernor Cover Wide Field and Affect
Many Industries and Occupations.

AT the witchins hour of midnight
yesterday the Code of Virginia became
richer by nearly 500 new laws. Under
the Constitution. acts Of the General
Assembly take effect ninety days after
final adjournment, unless an earlier
date is prescribed in the act itself
"hiie small number Of emergency
acts became effective three months
ago when they were signed by the
Governor. the bulk OF the new lerisIa-
ton became law when hour struck
twelve last night.
The new laws and their index fill
volume OF l.o3s pages. which takes its
place as the Acts Of Assembly, 1915
Superintendent Davis Bottom. of the
State Printing Department. completed
Yesterday the shipping of the first
edition Of the new acts to the various
state officers About 5000 volumes
have been shipped. and 1000 more viii
go forward as soon as they come from
the bindery.
AS a compendium Of new and ia iical
legislation. the collection of 1916 takes
high. rank. Many of the laws are
aimed at practices. customs and pro-
Virginia from the earliest DAYS of the
commonwealth. The moral reform"
note. rejecting the crusading spirit Of
the last General Assembly. is pro-
nounced.
ACT PLACES BAN on ALL
FORMS OF GAMBLING:
Pure food Legislation occupies an i'm
portant place. There are laws throw
ing stringent safeguards around the
sale Of milk, oleomargarine, cattle and
poultry foods. agricultural seeds, but
ter and kindred products. a new
commission merchant" law LAYS down
a definition of farm produce and pre-
,,-l,i ,,I,
must comply in order to obtain au-
thority TO engage in the business of
handing farm produce on commission.
The moral reform" laws are headed
by the Injunction act, which is designed
to destroy every segregated district in
the Commonwealth. the anticamblinE
statute, which makes il unlawful to
play al an" game for money. no matter
how trivial the stakes: and the pro-
hihition law. which makes unlawful
the sale or manufacture OF intoxicants
after November l. 1916.
y partial enumeration Of the more
Important new laws embraced in the
Code of 1915. all Of which. with one or
two exceptions. went into effect at
midnight yesterday. includes acts:
Creating the Department Of Game
and Inland Fisheries. and subjecting
tho entire State for the first time TO
uniform game Law
Establishing the Torrens system Of
land registration. with local option
I arrangement under which the locali-
ties may elect 10 make use Of the new
plan. or retain the present system
Changing tho State Advisory Boa I'd
on Taxation into the State Tax Board.
with greatly amplihed powers
Imposing direct inheritance tax
for the first time in the history of
Virginia
Creating state Board OF Optome,ry
Providing for the "oustinE" of state
and local officers found guilty of re-
fusing 10 enforce any Law of the Com
/ N onweal,h.
Repeating the law which provides
pensions for retired Supreme Court
judges From the effects of this re-
peal is exempted every member OF the
present supreme Court bench except
Judge Kelly and Judge Sims
Setting aside the automobile tax for
road maintenance instead of for con-
struction. as has been the case In the
past.
Providing for voting by registered
mall under certain conditions
Creating state Art Commission
Prohibiting the use of roller towels
in public lavatories
CITY OF HOPEWELL
CREATED by ACT
lnauGurating the States first free
school book system under which each
locality, after approving the policy
/
| textbooks to the school children.
Creating the City of Hopewe!l and
providing for its municipal govern
ment The act takes effect on July /.
Increasing the good behavior al
lowance of convicts in the penitentiary
from four days month TO ten days a
month.
Preventing untrue and deceptive adj
vertisng.
Preventing discrimination by pro-
prietors of amusement places against
the uniforms OF the State and United
States militia.
Regulating the sale of stocks and
securities The act is known as the
blue sky" law, and is designed to
prevent the unloading of worthless
securities" on the investing public.
Permitting females to act AS depu-
ties TO clerks of courts.
Increasing the franchise taxes OF
railway companies and otherwise
amending the tax schedules so to
provide largely increased annual
revenue.
Rough ut PouEhkeepsic.