The registration of the insignia, ribbons, badges, rosettes and emblems of any society, association or labor union is authorized and the wearing of them by persons not members is prohibited under penalty of fine or imprisonment.

Giving or promising to an employee any gift or gratuity with intent to influence his action in reference to his employer's business is made a criminal offense; in other words, "graft" is prohibited.

The State Board of Bar Examiners shall hereafter receive their compensation and expenses from the fees of petitioners for admission, which fees are fixed at the sum of fifteen dollars, and a citizen of another state and an alien who has made primary declaration shall be entitled to admission to practice if found qualified, whether man or woman.

Street railways are authorized to act as common carriers of baggage and freight upon such part of the railways and to such extent in any city or town as may be approved by the board of aldermen of cities or selectmen of towns, subject, however, to the certificate of the railroad commissioners that public necessity or convenience so require.

An excise tax of three per cent. is imposed upon the gross receipts from the sale of goods for which trading stamps are given.

An act creates the office of State Forester, who shall establish a nursery for the propagation of forest tree seedlings at the Agricultural College and distribute seeds and seedlings to land

owners.

The expenditure of $1000 by the Board of Commissioners for the promotion of uniformity of legislation in the United States is authorized.

A company for the purpose of generating and distributing music electrically is incorporated.

Another act provides for the licensing of theaters and public halls by municipal authorities and for the inspection of them in regard to structural condition, liability to fire, arrangement of exits and other safety provisions.

The provisions of the statutes relative to caucuses of political parties are applied to their caucuses held for the choice of delegates to conventions to elect delegates to national conventions.

An act provides for the payment to veterans of the Civil War, honorably discharged, who served to the credit of Massachusetts $125 each. (This act was vetoed by the governor and afterwards received a two-thirds vote of members present of the House of Representatives and of the Senate. The attorney general, however, gave an opinion to the effect that the act has not the force of law because it did not receive a two-thirds vote of the whole membership of the House, and the governor requested the opinion of the Supreme Court on this point and as to its constitutionality, and the court has delivered an opinion against its constitutionality.)

NEW JERSEY.

New Jersey makes it a misdemeanor to mutilate the flag of the United States or the flag of the state or to cause to be placed thereon any inscription or advertisement. This looks like a parting of the ways of that state from commercialism.

The improvement of the condition of tenement houses is provided for and a board of tenement house supervision established.

An act was passed regulating the employment of children in factories and establishing a department for the enforcement of the act. It provides that no child under the age of fourteen years shall be permitted to work in any factory and prescribes numerous regulations for the protection of operatives.

The act for the regulation and incorporation of insurance companies was amended by providing that when by the laws of any other state or foreign country any taxes or other imposition in excess of those imposed by the laws of this state upon insurance companies are imposed upon insurance companies of this state doing business in such other state or country, then the same impositions shall be imposed by this state; and when the insurance commission of another state or country shall

refuse to accept as conclusive the certificate of the insurance commissioner of this state, then this state may retaliate by refusing to accept the certificate of such other state; and if license to transact business in such other state be refused to any company of this state, then license to transact business in this state shall be refused to companies of such other state. This act is evidently a step in the direction of enforcing comity of corporations between the states.

It is provided that no deed or other instrument, except deeds or instruments made by corporations, shall be void for lack of seal, thus abolishing private seals.

It is made a misdemeanor for any person to marry one who has been confined in any public asylum or institution as an epileptic or insane or feeble-minded patient unless two physicians shall certify that such a one is completely cured.

The act concerning corporations is amended and directors of corporations are made personally liable where they have declared dividends otherwise than from the surplus or net profits of the business.

A penalty is prescribed for overcharging by the carrier, ticket scalping is made a misdemeanor, the redemption of unused tickets is made compulsory and the method of procedure for the sale of unclaimed freight is prescribed.

NEW YORK.

An act compelling the registration of motor vehicles, facilitating their identification and regulating the use of public highways by such vehicles was passed. The maximum speed permitted on a closely built up highway is ten miles an hour. Another provision directs the chauffeur in case a horse appears badly frightened to cause the vehicle to cease running so long as shall be reasonably necessary to prevent accident and insure the safety of others.

An amendment to the negotiable instruments law is as follows:

"No bank shall be liable to a depositor for the payment by it of a forged or raised check unless within one year after the return to the depositor of the voucher of such payment such depositor shall notify the bank that the check so paid was forged or raised."

The right to do business in the state is denied to any foreign corporation not a moneyed or insurance corporation with the word "trust," "bank," "banking," "insurance," etc., as a part of its name.

And another act makes the use of these words under such circumstances a misdemeanor.

No foreign corporation is to be allowed to exercise within the state the powers of a bank or trust company. New York keeps some of the good things for her own corporations.

The definition of usury as a crime is apparently much limited. Under a new statute usury is not a crime unless security is taken upon household furniture, sewing machines, plate or silverware in actual use, wearing apparel or jewelry or unless a pretended purchase of such property is made.

The publication in a newspaper or circular of false representations concerning merchandise or the possession of prizes conferred on account of such merchandise or "the motive or purpose of a sale intended to give the appearance of an offer advantageous to the purchaser which is untrue or calculated to deceive" is made a misdemeanor.

An amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure gives the appellate division of each department power to provide for the classification for the purposes of trial of actions placed upon the calendars and for the making up of two or more calendars within such classification.

Where a wife has been successful in an action for absolute divorce and the final decree grants her alimony, her remarriage gives the defendant an absolute right to the discontinuance of the alimony.

An important act bearing on the state system of education was passed. The office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

is abolished and in its place there is created the office of Commissioner of Education, who is to be chosen for the first six years by the legislature, and after that by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. He is at all times removable by the board. The number of regents is reduced from nineteen to eleven. The act takes the power of supervision over the elementary and secondary schools from the Board of Regents, and gives it to the Commissioner of Education, who is also given power to create departments and to appoint the heads of departments.

An act not applying to cities over 50,000 population provides that the commissioner of education shall not approve any plans for the erection of or addition to a school house unless the same shall provide at least fifteen square feet of floor space and two hundred cubic feet of air space for each pupil to be accommodated in each study or recitation room therein. Provision must also be made for supplying at least thirty feet of pure air every minute per pupil.

The disability of a physician to disclose as a witness information acquired in attending a patient in a professional capacity is extended to a professional or registered nurse.

An act passed mainly through the efforts of District Attorney Jerome, regulates a witness's privilege in a proceeding for violation of the laws against gambling. As the law stood, no person was excused from testifying in any such proceeding upon the ground that his testimony might tend to convict him of a crime. It was also provided that no testimony so given. should be received against him upon any criminal investigation or proceeding. The amendment provides in addition that no person shall be prosecuted or subjected to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter or thing concerning which he may so testify. The amendment was made necessary by the decision of the Court of Appeals in People ex rel. Lewisohn vs. O'Brien, 176 N. Y. 253.

Lenders of money on salaries of employees are required to file with the employer a copy of the agreement or assignment