paper any information and send it to any newspaper other than the one to which it is addressed, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000).

§ 7a. Any telegraph company or any officer, agent or employee of a telegraph company which shall disclose or knowingly permit to be disclosed, or shall impart or knowingly permit to be imparted, the contents of any message entrusted to such company for transmission, to any person, firm or corporation other than the person, firm or corporation to which the said message is addressed, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof may be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000).

FILED June 29, 1917.

This bill having remained with the Governor ten days, Sundays excepted, the General Assembly being in session, it has thereby become a law. Witness my hand this twenty-ninth day of June, A. D. 1917. LOUIS L. EMMERSON, Secretary of State.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATIONS.

BOARD OF TOWN AUDITORS.

§ 3. Meeting of town auditors.

§ 1. Amends section 3 of Article XIII, Act of 1874.

(HOUSE BILL No. 797. APPROVED JUNE 25, 1917.)

AN ACT to amend section 3 of Article XIII of an Act entitled, “An Act to revise the law in relation to township organization, approved and in force March 4, 1874, as amended by subsequent amendatory Acts thereto.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That an Act entitled, an Act to revise the law in relation to township organization, approved and in force March 4, 1874, as amended by subsequent amendatory Acts thereto, be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows:

§ 3. Said board of auditors shall meet at the town clerk's office for the purpose of examining and auditing the town accounts, semiannually, on the Tuesday next preceding the annual meeting of the county board and on the Tuesday next preceding the annual town meeting, and may in their discretion meet on the fourth Tuesday next following said annual town meeting.

APPROVED June 25, 1917.

OFFICERS-ELECTION.

§ 1. Election of officers.

§ 1. Amends section 1, Article VII, Act of 1874.

(HOUSE BILL No. 754. APPROVED JUNE 28, 1917.)

AN ACT to amend an Act entitled, “An Act to revise the law in relation to township organization," approved and in force March 4, 1874, as subsequently amended, by amending section one (1) of article seven (VII.)

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That an Act entitled "An Act to

revise the law in relation to township organization," approved and in force March 4, 1874, as subsequently amended, be and the same is heerby amended by amending section one (1) of Article seven (VII) thereof to read as follows:

§ 1. (Article VII). At the annual town meeting in each town, there shall be elected by ballot one supervisor (who shall be ex officio overseer of the poor), one town clerk, one assessor, and one collector, who shall severally hold their offices for two years and until their successors are elected and qualified, and such justices of the peace, constables and highway commissioners as are provided by law: Provided, that in any town or city not included within the limits of any town (except in Cook County) having four thousand (4,000) inhabitants, there shall be elected one additional supervisor to be styled assistant supervisor; in towns having six thousand five hundred (6,500) inhabitants, there shall be elected two assistant supervisors; and so for every additional twenty-five hundred (2,500) inhabitants, there shall be elected one additional supervisor, the population of towns to be ascertained by the last Federal or State census preceding the election:

And, provided, further, that in counties under township organization, now having a population of less than 100,000 there shall hereafter be no town collector elected, but the county collector shall be ex officio town collector, and all the duties of the town collector shall devolve upon and be performed by the county collector. Nothing herein shall affect the terms, duties or compensation of town collectors electors elected before the taking effect of this Act.

FILED June 28, 1917.

This bill having remained with the Governor ten days, Sundays excepted, the General Assembly being in session, it has thereby become a law. Witness my hand this twenty-eighth day of June, A. D. 1917. LOUIS L. EMMERSON, Secretary of State.

TOWNSHIP ROAD BONDS-VALIDATION.

1. Road bonds-validation where legality of election proceedings questioned.

(HOUSE BILL No. 148.

§ 2. Petition for submission of question -clerk to give notice-what to contain-meeting-resolution.

§ 3. Commissioners may issue refunding bonds.

APPROVED JUNE 11, 1917.)

AN ACT to provide for the validation of road bonds issued by any township in this State and to authorize the refunding of the same.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That in all cases where an election has been held in any township in this State for the purpose of voting on a proposition to borrow money to construct and maintain gravel, rock, macadam or other hard roads in such township, and a majority of voters voting at such election have voted in favor thereof, and where, pursuant to such election, bonds of the township have been issued in good faith and within the debt limitation prescribed by law, and the purchase price thereof has been received by the township; and where, subsequent to the issuance of such bonds, a question shall have arisen as to the legality of the election proceedings under which such bonds were voted,

such bonds may be ratified and validated in the manner hereinafter provided.

§ 2. Upon a petition signed by ten or more of the legal voters of the town addressed to the town clerk requesting the submission to the voters of such township, at the annual town meeting or at a special meeting called for that purpose, of the proposition to ratify and validate any such bonds theretofore issued by such township and specifying the date and amount of the bonds to be ratified; it shall be the duty of the town clerk to give notice of the submission of such proposition to the voters of the township at the next annual town meeting, or to call a special meeting for that purpose, as may be designated in the petition. Such notice shall state the time and place of the meeting and the proposition to be voted upon and shall be posted in at least five public places in the township not less than ten days previous to the meeting. At such meeting a resolution to ratify any such bonds previously issued by the township may be submitted describing in general terms the bonds proposed to be ratified and if a majority of the voters present and voting on the question shall vote in favor of such resolution, said bonds shall be deemed to be fully ratified, validated and confirmed and shall thereupon be and become legal and valid obligations of the township as of the date of their original issuance.

3. That the commissioners of highways of the township are hereby authorized in their discretion to issue new bonds for the purpose of refunding and extending the time of payment of any indebtedness evidenced by bonds or coupons thereto attached, which may have been ratified pursuant to the provisions of this Act. Such refunding bonds shall not run more than fifteen years from date, shall bear interest not exceeding 5% per annum and shall be signed by the commissioners of highways and the town clerk.

(HOUSE BILL No. 761. APPROVED JUNE 26, 1917.)

AN ACT to amend an Act entitled, "An Act concerning townships lying wholly within cities of more than 50,000 population," approved and in force May 11, 1901, as subsequently amended, by amending sections (1) and (2) thereof, so that the said sections when amended, shall read as follows:

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That an Act entitled, "An Act concerning townships lying wholly within cities of more than 50,000 population," approved and in force May 11, 1901, as subsequently amended, be and the same is hereby amended by amending sections one (1) and two (2) thereof, so that the said sections when amended shall read as follows:

§ 1. That in all townships lying wholly within any city of more than 50,000 population all the powers vested in such townships shall be exercised by the county board of the county in which such townships repsectively [respectively] are located, including all the powers vested in the town meetings and the board of auditors of such townships. Provided, however, that where there is but one township lying wholly within said city the powers of the board of auditors of such township shall be retained by the board of auditors of such township.

§ 2. The county clerk of such county in which such townships respectively lie shall be ex officio town clerk and township assessor of each of such townships, and the treasurer of the county shall be ex officio collector and supervisor of each of such townships; but such officers shall not be required to give any additional bond on account of holding such townships offices but they shall be liable on their official bonds for their acts as township officers in the same manner and to the same extent as if such bonds had been given such township officers.

AN ACT to authorize transfer of surplus town funds to other town funds or road and bridge funds.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That the legal voters of any town at any annual town meeting or at a special town meeting called for that purpose may by written resolution by majority vote of the legal voters present and voting therefor transfer from one or more town funds to other or different town fund or funds, or to the general road and bridge fund, or to any fund raised by taxation or bonds upon all the property in said town for roads and bridges, the surplus of any fund or funds. over and above an amount necessary to meet town charges and expenses of such town until the time of receiving revenue levied at the next annual town meeting, that such fund or funds so ordered transferred shall be transferred and paid into such other fund or funds, and shall be paid out on proper orders of officers authorized by law to expend such fund or funds: Provided, that any resolution, adopted as aforesaid, shall specify the estimated amount of the aforesaid proper and necessary charges and expenses of such town against said fund or funds, until the time of the receipt of revenue after the next annual town meeting, and the particular amount of surplus of such town fund or funds to be paid over as aforesaid, designating the particular fund or funds to be transferred to and paid into, and shall be submitted to said town meeting in writing, or reduced to writing, before any vote shall be taken thereon: Provided, further, whenever it is desired to submit such resolution at a

special town meeting, such special town meeting may be called when the supervisor, together with at least twenty-five voters of the town shall file with the town clerk a petition in writing, stating the purpose for which such special town meeting is to be called. Upon the filing of such petition, it shall be the duty of the town clerk to give notice of such special town meeting, to be held at the place of the last annual town meeting, in the same manner and for the same length of time as notice is required to be given of the annual town meeting; which notice shall state the object of such special meeting.

§ 2. That whenever the legal voters at such annual town meeting or at such special town meeting shall direct the transfer and payment of any surplus town fund or funds into some other town fund or funds or into the treasury of the road and bridge fund for road and bridge purposes, as provided by section 1 of this Act, it shall be the duty of the treasurer of the town fund or funds to pay such surplus funds, so directed to be paid, into such other town fund or funds or into the . treasury and to the treasurer of the road and bridge fund, and take credit therefor.

§ 3. That whenever any such surplus town fund or funds shall be paid into the treasury of the road and bridge fund, or other town fund, as by this Act provided, any valid and enforceable claim that any individual, firm, or corporation may have to any part of the surplus funds so paid over, shall become and be a valid and enforceable claim against

said town.

§ 4. That the invalidity of any portion of this Act shall not affect the validity of any portion thereof to which effect can be given without such invalid part.

§ 5. That, whereas an emergency exists, therefore this Act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval. APPROVED June 26, 1917.

(SENATE BILL No. 331. APPROVED JUNE 26, 1917.)

AN ACT to amend an Act entitled, "An Act to revise the law in relation to weights and measures," approved June 27, 1913, in force July 1, 1913, by amending sections twelve (12) and fifteen (15) and by adding section nineteen-a (19a).

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois. represented in the General Assembly: That an Act entitled, "An Act to revise the law in relation to weights and measures, approved June 27th, 1913, in force July 1, 1913, be and the same is hereby amended