Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-08-10
Census Bureau Compiling
Statistics With Start
ling Results.
Preparing Argument For
Uniform Divorce Law
STATES TO BE ASKED TO ADOPT
ONE STANDARD FOR LEGAL
DESCRIPTION OF FAM.
lily TIES.
WASHINGTON, Aug. o.-ono mil.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 0.-One mil
lion divorces. at least. were granted
by the courts of this country during
the past twenty years This Is an es-
Innate by the census bureau. and Il
is SO startling that IL will probably
result in further important discus
sion OF the question OF enactIng uui-
form divorce in the various states.
President Roosevelt. who has dis
cussed I'm his message and other puh-
Tic utteranoes the general subject of
Legislation bearing upon marriage
and divorce has expressed himself
strongly In favor OF uniform law.
directed some time ago that the con
sus bureau institute an inquiry into
the subject OF divorce. No investiga-
tion made in many years is regarded
as more important 90 the people of
the country personally than this one.
now Just fairly begun by Director
North and his assistants II Is expect
ed by the president that the statis-
tics gathered by the census burean.
together with the legitimate doduc-
tlons from them. will demonstrate
conclusively the necessity for uniform
laws. and he expects To use the figures
TO bring about such result
The question has been considered
by the president with the ablcst law
yers OF the senate and house OF rem
resentatives They have concluded
practically that ~ present. the con
gress lacks the constitutional power
TO enact n divorce law which would
be applicable in the states The presi-
dent hopes. therefore. to create sen
timent In favor OF uniform legisla-
ton ON the subject by the legisla-
lures of the saFious states. or Co oh
tain from the people. through the leg
islatures, approval OF a constitutional
amendment comforting upon the con
gress authority To regulate by law
the general matter OF marriage and
divorce
The statistics TO be collected and
compiled by the census bureau viii
cover the twenty-year period from
1887 10 1906. inclusive. A similar in
yestigatlon was made I'm 1856, GOV
ering a twenty-year period. and the
figures of the two periods are expect
ed To prove valuable for comparison
In the period OF twenty years lust
preceding 1856, 4S4.GS3 applications
for divorce were made TO the courts
and 32S.71G of them subsequently,
were granted Figures already I'm the
hands OF Director North warrant the
statement that in the past twenty
years the applications for divorce
aggregated nearly million and u
half. while the divorces actually
granted numbered more than mill
ion OF course. even this alarming
total does not include all cases OF In
felicity Ot marriage. but only those
which reaches the courts In spite Of
the apprehension OF the parties of
public scandal
The inquiry viii be- conducted along
such lines as viii mako the resultant
figures and deductions valuable in The
preparation OF laws for the regulation
OF marriage and divorce. An effort
viii be- made 10 collect the statistic
practically simultaneously. as I'm the
case OF the taking of the population
Of the country Special agents viii be
appointed in an parts Of the countrv
to examin" tho records Of the divorce
courts ln the United states there
are nearly 5000 counties. all OF
which probably have records in their
courts OF divorce applications All
details concerning each case viii be-
collected and tabulated with studioue
care Particular reference will be-
made 10 the number Of children ar
fected by The divorce cases and how
they were affected. as these facts. ~
is believed viii be- potent in deter.
mining the action ~ the Iegialatures
in the passage Of laws
When The Investigation shall have
been concluded and the figures stud
led carefully with a view to present
ing IN concrete form the result of inc
inquiry tho present viii transmit
the report to The congress. probably
accompanied by % special message.
Iu that message 90 is expected that
he viii give utterance TO his views ou
the subject Of the action TO bc taken
10 correct what SIS regarded by soc
ologists g. one of the greatest evils
Of our time