Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor                 1673

title "Elections", sub-title "Election Officials", providing for cer-
tain days of registration in the precincts in Anne Arundel County.

April 15, 1957.

Hon. John C. Luber

Speaker of the House of Delegates

State House

Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

House Bill 277 provides for precinct registration of voters in Anne
Arundel County. Section 38 of Senate Bill 8, the general revision of
the Election Laws, which I have signed, contains the same provision.

I have, therefore, vetoed House Bill 277 as an unnecessary dupli-
cation.

Respectfully,

(s) Theodore R. McKeldin,

Governor.

TRMcK/tk

House Bill No. 322—Optometry

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sections 356 and
359 of Article 43 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1951 Edi-
tion), title "Health", sub-title "Optometry", increasing the regis-
tration fee for the practice of optometry so as not to exceed the
sum of $10.00 per annum and allowing qualified optometrist to
prescribe or provide concave glasses without any restriction as to
age.

April 17, 1957.

Hon. John C. Luber

Speaker of the House of Delegates

State House

Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

House Bill 322 would remove the long-standing prohibition against
optometrists selling or prescribing concave glasses to person under
15 years of age.

Outstanding ophthalmologists have advised me of the serious danger
to the eyesight of young children which is the basis for the present
restriction in the law. I am advised that it is a practical impossibility
for anyone, medical or non-medical, to refract for near or far-sighted
eyes in children without the use of drops to dilate the pupils and
temporarily suppress their accommodation. This is particularly ap-
plicable to young children whose active accommodation prevents any
uniformity in the findings upon refraction without drops. Thus, ex-
amination without drops generally reveals more sight defect than
actually exists, and leads to a prescription of much stronger concave