Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-04-26
Gbr ()trmunt 49bCnit.
BRATTLEBOROs
FRIDAY, APRIL 90, 1889.

New Hampshire is getting a good deal Of
notoriety just now on account Of its unen-
viable divorce record The rate is one in
ten Of the marriages-the largest Of any
state in the Union
The New York Tribune Of last Saturday
contained the brief announcement that
'Mr Whitelaw Reid, having taken office
abroad, retires from the edtorship and di-
rcction of the Tribune Mr.. Donald Mich
Olson, Mr. Red's first assistant, will be the
ditorn chief for the present, with pros
pect that Col John Hay will he called to
the place next fall
Minnesota officials in districts where
grasshopper plague is threatened, are TAX
ing early and active measures against the
pests The first move will be to pillow the
prairie pasture lands where the eggs are
found, in Che hope of destroying them by
this means One section of 5000 acres will
be treated in this way Last year $1,000
was paid for live grasshoppers at dollar
bushel
Elk Postmaster General James, who is
temporarily in charge of the New York
post office since the death of Postmaster
Pearson, says that the force in every de
partment is 90 per cent smaller than it
should be, and that the allowance for car
riers and clerks should he increased by at
least 100000. The attempt to carry on
the vast work Of the office with an made
quate force was probably the cause of Mr..
Pearson's physical collapse.
An "anti Doodle" bill has passed the Can
adian house of commons and will pass the
Senate in due time and become law The
clause making the measure retroactive was
stricken out, greatly TO the relief of the
colony of boodlers now resident in the Do
minion. All the cabinet ministers were in
favor of enacting this clause, but the
French Canadian members and those rep
resentng constituencies in Ontario along
the boundary line voted solidly in favor of
resident absconders being allowed to re
main in the country.
In dealing with certain liquor cases in
blle NHlJbtuleu county court On lueStldy
Judge Powers took occasion to say that
He had little sympathy with the claim that
the rum traffic was necessary adjunct of
the hotel business that from a financial
standpoint the liquor traffic was the heav-
est tax that the people of Vermont had to
bear and that if our citizens were called
upon to pay direct tax amounting to
what the liquor tax caused indirectly in the
way of crime and prosecution pauperism
and attending evils, they would not submit
to it for a moment"
Corporal Tanner rendered pension de
cision of some Importance on Tuesday. The
case was that of pensioner who applied
for an increase from 1924 to $50 month on
account of total disability from varicose
veins. The increase was granted, the com
missioner saying that, in his opinion, it was
not the intention of Congress, in using the
words total disability, to debar claimants
for pension from the benefits of the act I'M
til the hand, foot arm or leg is worthless
incumbrance, incapable of motion and en-
tirely useless for any purposes whatever
Hereafter total disability will be held to ex-
list when the affected member, by reason of
wound, injury or disease, is useless in the
performance of ordinary manual labor.
1t is estimated that the flowers used in the
decoration of the churches of New York
city for Easter cost over 100000, apropos
of which the Tribune says it is becoming
question with many, even of those most
anxious to honor Easter, whether the ex-
penditure of so much money in this way is
not mistake. Originally the custom was
beautiful bit of religious symbolism, and
as such served a legitimate function in the
services of the day but it is gradually &C
quiring business and spectacular quality,
encouraged by the florists and patronized
by fashion, until the religious idea is nearly
lost sight of, Fashion has done much to
make both Lent and Easter ridiculous and
it is time for religious people to recognize
the fact, and do something to bring out into
clearer view the religious idea underlying
these seasons.
The vote against the proposed prohibito