Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-31
DIVORCE STATISTICS
Collection Favorsd by House
Census Committee.
RESOLUTION REPORTED
WORK MAY BE DOME By cLERI-
CAL FORCE OF THRBuREAU.
Importance of the jsu ubject Demon
strated-The Presidents Interest
-4at in the Matter.
RESOLUTION REPORTED

The House committee on the census has
favorably reported the House joint resolu-
tion authorizing the director of the census
to collect and report statistics of marriage
and divorce In view of the Presidents
message on the subject, and the present
great interest In the matter the report of
the committee is of Importance.
AT present there is no hw authorizing
the director of the census for any other
officer of the federal government to collect
statistics upon this important subject. An
act was passed in 1887 authorizing and re-
quiring the bureau of labor to collect and
report statistics, and under that authority
that bureau gathered aud reported the sta
tistics for a period oftwenty years-from
1865 to 1885, inclusivaE Since the latter
year there have been nasstatistics collected
on this subject at affsaSThe committee in
its report says:
Widespread Interest Manifested.
There is a widespreSp interest through
out the country for reliable information
upon the subject of marriage and divorce,
and in view of the apparent Exity in many
parts of the country of the divorce laws
this interest has become greatly accen-
tuated. A petition signed by Mr.. Seth Low
and others of the state of New York, re-
lating to this subject, was Recently referred
to the committee on the census, and by the
chairman Of that committee the petition
was referred to the director of the census
for an opinion = |.
The petitioners urged the states local in
quiry in order that thesstatistics be'brought
down to the latest praetica bile date. I'VE
would also show thsspetition says. that
the many changes ia the .marriage and
divorce laws since 1896 the last year in
cluded in the original investigation; the
work of the commissions on uniform legis-
latlon that have been created In thirty or
more states and territories; other efforts at
uniformity, and especially the extensive in
terest now taken in the study and treat
ment of these subjects In our institutions
of learning and elsewhere are further rea-
sons why this supplementary investigation
should now be made. And Ve would show
further that many Inquiries are made for
this information and that Yithsthe excep-
ton of a very few states. the material re-
mains uncollected, and Is beyond the reach
of private enterprise. while it can probably
be secured at comparatively small expense
by the same agency that made the report Of
1852 q
Among the other sigIiers of the petition,
besides ex-M Mayor Low, were sDayid H.
Greer, bishop coadjutor of the. diocese OF
New York: William T. Manning. vicar OF
st. Agnes Chapel; Nicholas Murray Butler.
M. Davis, justice Of the New York sn-
preme court, and Silas McBee, editor of the
Churchman. II
Director Norths Statement.
The petition was referred to Director OF
the Census North, who's in his reply, said
in part:
The entire male clerical force of the
census Office will be available for field work
in connection with this inquiry immediate
" after the complexion OF the manufactur-
ing census of 1905. upon which we are now
engaged. This clerical force has now re-
ceived training which insures the highest
efficiency and expedition in field work OF
this character. The siccessful prosecu-
ton of the work will require practically
every county In the United States to pc
visited by field agent. Colonel Wright
made an attempt foScollecx the statistics
by mail, but was obliged to abandon It.
the court clerks In many Of the counties
charging exorbitant fees and in other coun-
ties declining to furnish the facts called
for at any price.
''The services of the field agents em-
ployed for the purpase OF co1lecflng the
statistics Of marriaga and divorce al the
county seats could hantilixed siu1ultaneous-
ly. either wholly or partially, IN soliciting
certain Of the special sstatiaktce authorized
by the census act, on transfefEed 70 TINS
Office by order of thS Secretary OF Com
merce and Labor. Thlo would pc Particu-