Legal Decisions.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 11997, 4 September 1909, Page 1 (Supplement)

Legal Decisions.

The Appellate. Division of the .United States Supreme Court for the Second Department has judicially determined that a cow tan give illegal milk. The agricultural -in"- of milk "'containing more than ?» per cent, water and leas than 12 per cent, of milk solids." Recently a man bv the name of Bosch was prosecuted and it was held no defence that he wild the "milk as the cows had given it, for, as the Court learnedly observed, "the intent of the defendant is not material." The Supreme Court of Florida has held that it is not reversible error for a judge to smile. Counsel hadcalled to the stand one Ananias Goodwin, but decided to withdraw him alter the stenographer on lequest had 'noted an exception to the expression of the Court's face," On appeal it was adjudged that the "smile was nat •'■, even if not justifiable or excusable The Supreme Court of. Ihado hi •» been called on to say whether the tv is liable to a barber for shaves and haircuts supplied to jurors. It w.is niguetl that the barber's ministrations weie necessary from .1 samtarj point ot ucw, but, as stated in the opinion, "the necessity lor this wu mil wailed or brought about l« i< of the men s irving on the niry. Their whiskers and hair would urow uist the same at home or at their orhces or places ol business •> thev would while serving on tho jui\."' In Kansas it h.is been necessary to determine whether a, statute punishing • horse rating, cock-fighting, placing at <ards or games ot any kind" on Sund<i\ applied to baseball, and after ,i discussion ot the historv ol the game fiom its ougin in 18'W the Court said that Sundav h-iseliall was lawful, remarking that " the youth of the land aie encouraged by teachers and parents to beennie proficient in it as an athletic sport healthful to mind and )>ody Its popularity is due, however, to the fact tint it is spectacular and jbrings more enioyment to those w ho ' witness it than to the players themselves." Idaho has declared that a farmer lias rights superior to a red-eoated huntsman, and may shoot the dogs. The farmer •' may not know, in fact, that

the fox-hound when ho gallops arid cuke-walks up and down the barn Jot, to the great confusion and concentration of the cattle, hoys and fowls, is merely following the trail, of a hungry coyote tint had been pillering the night before, btnt on minder and theft." Ou the contrary, lie might honestly assume that it-> pm poses ajo iintvotthj. Hut the Couit .rdmits that ''dog law is as haul to deline as dog Latin ' It has been complained that law is too cun&ci v ative to keep pate with society-, piogitssiveness, but N these decisions demonstrate that some of the Comti v it least ha\e no in grappling with the problems of tlie ilaj (