Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-08-08
WORK 0f DIVORCE COURT IS STARTLING More Than One Million Separations
 In This Country the
 Past Year. CONSIDERS IT.
Ablest Lawyers in the Country Called In to Talk Over
 the Matter.


 divorces. at least, were granted by the courts of this country during the past twenty years. This is an esti- mate by the census bureau, and it is so startling that it probably will re- suit in further important discussion Of the question of enacting a uniform divorce law in the various states.
 President Roosevelt, who has dis cussed in his messages and other pub lie utterances, the general subject of legislation bearing upon marriage and divorce and has expressed him. self strongly in favor of uniform divorce, law, directed some time ago that the census bureau institute an inquiry into the subject of divorce. No investigation into a social or eco homie question made in many years Is regarded as more important to the people of the country personally than this one, now just fairly begun by Director North and his corps of as- sistants. It is expected by the presi- dent that the statistics gathered by the census bureau, together with the legitimate deductions from them, will demonstrate conclusiyely the neces- sity for uniform divorce laws, and he expects to use the figures to bring about such a result.
 The question has been considered by the president with the ablest law yers of the senate and house of rep resentatives. They have concluded practically that, at present. the con gress lacks the constitutional power to enact divorce law which would be. applicable in the states. The president hopes. therefore, to create sentiment in favor of uniform legis- lation on the subject by the legisla. lures of the various states or to ob- tain from the people, through the leg islatures, approval of constitution al amendment conferring upon the congress authority to regulate by law the general matter of marriage and divorce.
 The statistics to be collected and compiled by the census bureau will cover the twenty-year period from 1887 to 1906, inclusive. A similar investigation was made in 1886, GOV ering twenty-year period. and the figures of the two periods are expect ed to prove valuable for comparison. In the period of twenty years just 1886. 4S4.6S3 applications for divorce were made to the courts and 32S,11G of them subsequently were granted.
 {. Figures already in the hands of North of the census bureau warrant the statement that. in the past twenty years. the applications for divorce aggregated nearly a mil lion and half. while the divorces ac- tually granted numbered more than a million. Of course, even this total does not include all cases of the infelicity of marriage, but only those which reached the courts in spite of the apprehension of the partie sof public scandal.
 The inquiry will be conducted along such lines as will make the re- sultant figures and deductions val lable in the preparation of laws for the regulation of marriage and di- vorce. An effort will be made to col ect the statistics practically simul- as in the case of the talk Ing of the population of the country. Special agents will be appointed in Ill parts of the country to examine he records of the divorce courts.
 Tn the United States there are near ly 3.GO0 counties. all of which proba- bly, have records in their courts of divorce applications. All details con corning each case will he collected and tabulated with studious care. Particular reference will be made to the number of children Affected by the divorce cases and how they were aeffcted. as these facts. 1t is believed will be potent in determining the &C., lion of the legislatures in the pas sage of laws.
 When the investigation shall have ,een concluded and the figures stud ed carefully with view to present. l, ng in concrete form the result of the ! nquiry, the president will transmit he report to the congress. probably 1 accompanied by a special message. n that message it is expected that | le will give utterance to his views n the subject of the action to be 1 aken to correct what is regarded by | as one of the greatest i <rftu Of ovr