Mexico weekly ledger., 1911-01-19

for amendments making divorce cas-
Ter and marriage more diffscuit, Il
a report submitted to u by Judge AL
fred A. ommon Is adopted.
The report characterizes the pres
ent marriage law Of New York State
as a disgrace to civilization. Sin
that It quite fails TO specify any "a
stricton as to the physical. mental
and moral state of the parties to
the marriage contract, with the re-
suit that the prisons, sanitartnms
and asylums are crowded with living
examples Of the ~pernic1ous workings
OF me law The report continues:
The proper way to mitigate the
evils Of divorce Is to mitigate the
evils OF our marriage laws. Under
proper marriage laws divorce would
not be the serious problem II Is
to-day.
There should be legislation pro
ydding for the publication OF intent
to marry eight days before the date
Of marriage. during which any n
who objected and could show their
grounds Of impeachment to such mar
rage might do so. These grounds
to be habitual drunkenness Of eth
er party to the proposed marriage.
tuberculosis or any mental or com
municable physical disease. Upon
ailmg Of such objections, the su-
preme court SHOULD pass upon the
truth or falsity of the changes, and
IL true should prevent the marriage,
III the matter of divorce laws, more
sociology ard less theology is need
ed. To the one statuatofy ground
for divorce in this State there should
be added as grounds: Cruelty and
inhuman treatment; desertion; hab.
ttual druDkehHess.
The following letter from Wash
ington concerning the new Govern
ment building will be sad news to
every pubiicspifited citizen who
wants to see the new Post Office
completed as soon as possible. In
all probability. 1t will be another
year before the building lis com
pleted. The letter follows;
Washington, D. c. Jan. 10, 1911.
Mr. R. " White.
Editor The Mexico Ledger,
Mexico, Missouri.
Sir:-
The receipt is acknowledged Of
your 1etter Of the 9Th inst, in fur
ther reference to the status of work
on the plans for the proposed new
Post office bu"ding at Mexico, Mo.
As stated IN office letter to you of
the 18th ult., the preliminary sketch
es viii probably be taken up IN the
spring, and should no unforeseen de-
lay occur, 1t ds the expectation to
have the plans and specifications
completed in time to advertise for
bids during the fall.
Respectfully.
L. Bunions
Acting Supervising Architect.
Ian the past two years Mexico has
enjoyed an unusual fire record and
the number Of fires ais well as the
losses have not been very heavy
The department Is one OF the
most efficient I'M the State for any
town the size OF Mexico or twice its
size. Chief Vernon Norris has
been in the work 80 long he under
stands evefy phase Of fire fighting
and directs his i and their work
with the best results. His men are
chosen with care and know their
work perfectly.
The following interesting statistics
are taken from the records of Fire
Chief Morris and tell the story Of the
two years in as correct method as
possible.
In 1909, there were IL false alarms
that cost the city in salaries to the
firemen $50. There we're II fires
that cost the city $15s. The property
loss was estimated at $3.50, and
this included a caboose and freight
car that burned in a Wabash wreck
in the east end OF the local yards.
In 1910, there we're 10 false
alarms that cost the city $50 and 10
fires that cost $17S. The estimated
loss of property was $4,000. Since
the department has had a wagon and
team, the loss has decreased mate
rally and the EFFICIENCY of the fire
men has increased.
When the Central telephone office
lis notified of a fire, Ken Hulen, driv-
er of the fire wagon, the Water
Works and the Electric Light Plant
are all notified ait once. The hight
plant and the ely Hall both give
alarms. Then the other firemen
are informed.
The firemen receive So for every
fire and 81 for every false alarm.
Ken Hulen, driver of the fire wag.
on, lives In the department building
exc amenth
TN sonan, u etc.
men:
Vernor Norris. Chief.
! !. 4 4. ' sssls' 1 aas,s G Gs.snan.