Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-06
bearing so directly upon our standard of
values, might be scientific benefits with
out becoming the basis Of too profitable
exploitatiOns."
Odd Quirks Of Foreign Law.
From the New YORK Sun.


1t is said that Frenchman. replying to
an inquiry made Of him as to the charac-
| ter and qualifications of woman apply
ing for employment as cook, got into
serious trouble when he wrote that he
could not recommend the applicant "by
| reason of her extravaganza. impertinence
and prediction to drink while she was
in his service. The person to whom the
Frenchman wrote the letter showed the
communication to the cook, with the re-
suit that the latter Immediately brought
suit for damages against the writer.
This case showed peculiar feature OF
the French law on this subject The
matter was decided against the writer
who was fined and admonished that he
j had no right to circulate injurious state
mentS concerning another person, even
| though the statements might be true
Since that time, it is said, French house.
keepers, to evade the responsibility thus
placed upon them by law. have ISSUED
certificates OF character in form some
thing like the following:
| This certifies that Nine. Marie late
nurse to my daughter, aged one year, die
not leave her on bench in the Jardir
des Plantes and go away and forget her
| on October Il last.
! It is obvious that certificate of this
/, sort serves It's purpose without in any
way laying the writer open to suit fol
damages.
Anther curious illustration of the prin
| ciple of responsibility abroad Is afforded
! by civil damage suit growing out OF
the breaking Of plate glass window in a
German town. A witness had testified
as follows:
/, AS was passing down the street in
/ come whirling through the air. did not
know whence it came. l saw it coming
through the air and l had just time
enough to dodge to save myself from
being hit by it,
! The witness was sharply questioned
upon the point whether the stone that
broke the window would have struck
him had he not lodged it. He was then
dismissed. Eventually the decision OF
the magistrate was this:
.Inasmuch as If the witness had not
unfortunately ducked his head the glass
| would not have been struck by the stone
he Is hereby .ad1ndged responsible for tne
| breaking OF the window and is ordered tt
! pay to the owner the value of the same.
| The Paris concierge has always been :
privileged person, but he has acquired
new Importance within recent years by
reason OF court decision handed down
there. concierge had permitted him.
self the liberty of opening the letters OF
young lady. one of the tenants of the
house.
| Discovering the fact, the young woman
brought suit against the concierge. The
case was tried and was decided against
the young woman, it being held that the
responsibility of the state ended with the
delivery Of the mail to some person who
| was authorized to receive it, and that the
concierge was such a person. But the
court censured the concierge for being
| guilty Of an indelicacy."
| There was no redress for the owner of
I the letters beyond this, and to complete
| the whole the concierge next brought suit
! in his turn against the young woman.
This, however, was too much for any
court The case was dismissed without
| a hearing