PRINCESS -BEATRICE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 141, 16 June 1932, Page 11

PRINCESS -BEATRICE

OPERATION.FOR CATARACT

(British Official Wireless.)

EUGBY, 14th June.

A'preliminary operation for the extraction of a cateract was to-day successfully 'performed upon .Princess Beatrice's right eye.

• , 1 • -, Princoss Beatrice, who is 75 years old, is the King's aunt and mother of the cx-Qaeen of Spain. .

Merchant Shipping Act of 1875 was passed, requiring ships'to have marked on their sides a vertical scale of feet, and that a note of the reading before the ship's sailing should be left with the Customs or tho British Consul at the port. of departure. •

The Bill was only passed, however, after much opposition, leading up to the famous "Plimsoll, scene" in the House, of Commons, and much public outcry. The Act also required the position o£ the weather deck to be marked on the ship's side by a deck line, and the owners of foreign-going ships were required 'to mark on the sides ,of their ships, amidships, a circular disc, 12in in diameter,, so placed "that the centre of the disc shall indicate the maximum load line in salt water, to which the owner intends to load the ship for that voyage." This was the origin of the Plimsoll line, which has remained for the purpose for which it was devised, though it was left to subsequent legislation to provide", regulations govern r ing tho point on the ship's hull at which the lino was to be placed, and complicated tables have been drawn up to cover different types of ships.