St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-12-08

or wrongly, considers Fln undesirable
practice in the main, although it has
to be recognized that some cases must
receive more minute attention than
others. The opinions of only three
other states are at greater length
Utah, North Dakota, and Idaho, and
: in each of these states the average of
opinions per justice is much higher
than in Vermont. So far as Vermont
is concerned the small number of
cases per justice does not seem to be
REFLECTED in the length of opinions, for
Vermont justices have few opinions to
write and succeed in making them
long, while The Docket works under
the impression that ample time would
result in shorter and more concise
opinions.
If Vermont's supreme court were re-
duced to three members instead of the
I've, the number of opinions per JUS
tice would jump from 10 to BIZ,
which is not high in comparison with
other states. Indeed, there are So ap-
pellate courts which handle more opin-
ions per member than this, the aver
age being, it would seem, well over so.
The reader ought not to jump to the
conclusion that our supreme court has
an easy time of it, even though the ap-
pearanceS point to that conclusion
The Messenger is very frank to say
that it cannot English these facts and
figures to its own complete satisfac-
ton. 1t does know that the decisions
OF the Vermont supreme court have
for years been accepted with respect
by courts and lawyers all over the
country, so that whatever the situa-
ton may be, the highest court in the
state does good work. This of course
is the main thing to be considered It
may be that Vermont has struck the |
ideal relation between the number of |
judges and the amount of work to be |
done. 1t may be. however, that just
as good work could be done by fewer
men of the same caliber now on the
bench. 1t would be interesting to read
the opinions of the matter entertained
by the lawyers of the state. The lead
ing members of the legal profession
would be able to throw more light on
this matter than could be expected
from a layman who has before him (
nothing but cold figures and is unac-
quainted with the personal equation
which must be given its place and
proper relationship with the whole /
question.-St. Adams Messenger
Was A Famous Firm.
The death in Minneapolis of Henry
c. Belden, formerly judge of the cir
cult court of Minnesota, brings to mind
the law firm of Belden, Ide & Stafford
in st. Johnsbury. All three of these
lawyers who struggled together in a
country town afterward became wide
ly known. Judge Ide was chief JUS
tice of the international court in Sa-
moa and minister to Spain and Judge
Stafford is now one of the presiding
officials of the District of Columbia.
Times.
Dirty Milk Not Honest.
The state laboratory of hygiene ex- /
amined $50 specimens of milk during
the months of August. September and
October and of these SO were above
standard and 81 below standard. OIL
these latter "a samples failed becau=e
they were dirty, 10 of poor quality. and
IL were both poor quality and dirty +
This is very bad showing, and indf-
Gates carelessness and slack methods
People who buy milk would be willing
to pay something above the average
prices if they could have a certified
statement that the product which they
purchase comes from farmers whose
milk had been tested and found up to
standard. Nobody wants dirty milk
and the man who offers 1t for sale is In
the same class with the dealer in other
comm ODDITIES who has been found gull
ty of violating the pure food law. The
instruction of farmers in cleanliness
would seem to be a field to which the
county agents could apply their time
in a way useful to their constituents
both the producers of milk and the
people that buy it-Vermont Phoenix