Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-26

Legislative year l9la-lG III the United
States. ending with the adjournment
soon of The Louisiana Legislature, has
been remarkable for It's comparatively
negligible am ount OF progress. accord
ing to the annual canvass which the
Associated Press has made of lcgisIu-
tive activity in the various States.
AS compared with last year. when
fortyore OF the forty-e!ght States held
Legislative sessions and a great many
I progressive measures We're adopted,
! the past twelve monthc have consti-
! tutcd an off-ycar, the lawmakers Of
only fourteen States having held any
sessions. All OF these, with the cN-
. ceptiou Of Oklahoma and Louisiana,
are States east OF the mississippi River:
and, III addition to the two States
named. they are Massachusetts. Rhode
/ Island, New York, New Jersey. Mary
land. Virginia, Illinois. Kentucky.
South Carolina. Georgia. Florida and
mississippi in other States tho Legis-
, latures meet biennially.
There are. however. a number OF out
standing features OF general interest
connected with the work OF the few
( Legislatures which met. One is that
new phase of legislation has arisen
during the year; namely. the question
I OF the general movement for prepared
ness New York State. however. which
has hecn the first 10 take Legislative
action in the matter by strengthening
her National Guard and providing for
/ military training III public schools, APP
( pears to have been the only state that
has actually enacted any new prepared
ness measures the past year New Jer-
ScT created commission {" investi
safe the subject Of military training In
high schools and to report to the 1917
, Legislature. but in the reports at hand
/ of the sessions in the other twelve
states where the Legislatures met this
( year, there appears no mention of ac-
tton along these lines
The New York Legislators pledged
/ 10 the President and Congress the
states unqualified support in action
/ necessary 10 maintain the honor OF the
/ nation in any crisis. The legislators
appropriated 100000 10 provide for the
first mobilization Of tho entire National
7 Guard of the State in exercise camps
/ this summer, and making that sum
/ available for immediate use should
/ other crises develop.
PROVIDES FOR TRAINING
/ OF PiB1.IC-SCIIOOL PUPILS
/ 1t provided for military. disciplinary
I and physical training OF all public
schoo! pupils. the physical and disc-
( plinary 10 all more than eight years ut
age, and the military 10 apply TO all
male youths. whether students or not
} between the ages of sixteen and nine
/ teen, the only exemption being in cases
where the young men are employed
! continuously rs n means of livelihood
II also authorized the Governor to
m OF tn No
composed Of all males between the
ages Of eighteen and forty-tive. from
which may be drnfted at any time suf-
ic!cnt numbers 10 M up the compile
, ment of the militia or any of its. de-
! ,achmrnts.
Woman's suffrage. which. during the
ScHr OF l3li-l5. was referred by the
legislatures of several States TO the
vote II tho people, and which re-
rcNcd sethuck at the elections in
four Atlantic States-Ncw York, New.
Jersey. Pennsylvania and Massachu-
scis received compa ratively little
favorable action during the past legis-
iativc season The New York lawmals-
crs. however. took the first step to-
/ ward thc resubmission Of the refcrcn-
dunn on the matter In 1917. bu: in order
. for the referendum to be held the reso-
luton In favor of il must be adopted
again next year. In Kentucky. after Il
'"'IcS Of defeats in previous LeGisla-
, lures n measure in favor of n rcfcrcn-
dunn Of woman's suffrage was passed
by the Senate, but failed in the House
in Louisiana, Virginia. Florida and
Mississippi woman's suffrage measures
were defeated, and in Rhode Island tn.
suffrage bill remained In tho files of
'he Committee on Special Legislation.
lher" wcr" no other States which APP
/ pear "a have considered the subject
Women, however. profit to n con
siderable "Xtcnt through many meas
hr"& which We're passed during the
year For instance. in Rhode Island
an act was passed to prohibit night
york for women and children; In South
carolina the law was amended TO make
IN" limit fourteen years, instead Of
twelve. Tor children In mines and fac
tories, while Maryland passed II
mothers pension law, providing State
aid to needy widows who have de-
PENDENT children under fourteen years
OF age
VIRGINIA SHOWS POSSIBILITY
OF FALLING IN LINE
There are already thirty States in
winch w"rkmcn's compensation laws
arc IN effect, and ono State. Virginia
indicates possibility OF falling in line
having passed Joint resolution for
commission 10 report on a workmen's
condensation bill a. the session in
1918 in Massachusetts the labor lead
"TF succeeded in having PASSED an
Rrn"ndnlcn' 10 the worSmeu's rompen-
sat!nn aCt. reducing from fourteen to
ten days ;hc waiting period when in
turcd employees shall receive compen-
sation, and n resolution was passed
for an investigation OF the advisabiii;y
OF establishing new rate FOR com
pcnsat!on insurance. Two small loan
acts we're also passed IN Massachusstts.
one establishing the rate Of interest
On small loans az 3 per cent 2 month.
and the other exempting from assign
ment three-fou!ths OF mans wages
STIMULATING further that no sasign man,
OF married mans UagEs can ne made
unless the written consEnt of tire wife
4. ~,