ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR.               . 1449

CRIMINAL LAW—LARCENY.

(Chapter 95, Senate Bill No. 30. )

This bill, among other things, provides that if any person
shall steal or shall break into a shop or store-house and steal
any money, goods or chattels under the value of twenty-five
($25. 00) dollars, and be convicted thereof, then he shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and not of petty larceny, and
may be tried before a justice of the peace.

It is desirable, for a number of reasons, for petty matters
to be tried in the magistrates' courts. This bill, however, in
undertaking to do that also affects felonious entry which would
really constitute burglary. A storage house might be broken
into under most serious circumstances, and yet if the intruders
did not secure articles worth more than twenty-five ($25. 00)
dollars, the offense could only be a misdemeanor. There have
been instances of notorious gangs breaking into jewelry and
other stores and actually getting nothing, but yet the circum-
stances warranted severe punishment.

The bill would also deprive the accused of the benefits of
probation where this was desirable, because the police magis-
trates have no probation department, and the magistrates would
have no adequate opportunity of securing the criminal records
of prisoners brought before them.

There would, moreover, be no opportunity to the Police
Department to secure finger-prints or photographs in proper
cases.

For these reasons, the bill will be voted.

STATE VETERINARY MEDICAL BOARD.

(Chapter 538, House Bill No. 264. )

This bill contains a good many desirable amendments to
the veterinary law, but, unfortunately, and through some er-
ror, it contains also a proviso that the various sections of the
law, which are for the protection of the public and the regu-
lation of the profession, "shall not apply to those persons who
have been engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine in
this State for a period of ten years, but they shall be at lib-
erty to continue said practice without registering with the
State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners".