Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-30
OMAHA JUDGES ARE PRAISED
Commended BY Washington Official fOi
Their Stand on Divorces.
UNCLE SAN GATHERING STATISTICS
So Significant Has situation Become
that Government Has Hundred
and Fifty Agents
An Field.

Il notice the district judges Of Omaha
are taking a arm stand on the matter OF
divorces" said NJ. II. Thorpe OF the census
bureau at Washington, who stopped in
Omaha Friday noon TO spend day in sight
seeing while enroute to San Francisco.
That - a step In the right direction. for
the divorce laws Of the country are getting
entirely too lax.
THE census bureau is gathering Stats
tics ON the question OF marriage and d.
vorce, but IL making slow progress. The
bureau has had $50 agents in the field since
last July. going over the records in the
larger cities. The task IL larger than was
expected, consequently the delay, but a
bulletin may be expected in a short time
giving a preliminary report on some OF the
findings.
las the gathering OF complete statistics
necessitates the examination of the court
records in every county in the United
States, the bureau plans to make use of
county clerks In counties that do not con-
tain cities OF any considerable size. Under
this plan It was necessary 20 get over 2,6Oo
clerks OF counties interested In the work.
In many sections of the country the county
clerks have ignored the invitation from the
bureau to examine the records, and so far
only about 400 county clerks are engaged
in gathering statistics. It is hoped soon to
be able to increase this number to 1000 or
more and as soon as the special agents are
relieved from their work in the cities they
will be sent to cover such couties as have
not been provided for.
Figures from cities.
After all the statistics from the cities
that will be OF greatest interest, for
le me- bat e.,
a larger extent in the cities than in coun-
try districts. When completed the statis-
tics will show the number of marriages
and divorces for the twenty-year period
from 1887 TO 1907. Between the years 1867
and 1887 TO 1907 can only be Appropriated
at this time, but with the statistics from
the larger number of cities before him,
the director of the census believes that
the number will go to 100000. For the
twenty-year period of 1867 to 1887 there
was an average OF thirty-three divorces for
every 10000 population. II is now estl-
mated that for the latter period, from 1887
to 1907, the statistics will show about sew
enty divorces to every 10000 population,
or more than double the number for the
first period.
Chicago win take the lead in the number
Of divorces granted in any one city. While
thS hBuA0e AoE buNh NEW AOIk ana GnlCdkO
are far from complete they indicate that
Chicago will lead New York about three
to one.
mo one seems to know just what use is
to be made of the statistics after they are
completed. The investigation was author
lied by congress after the president had
sent in special message suggesting that
such statistics should be gathered. 1t was
assumed then that the information was de-
sired for use Ia squirting on states 20 enact
more drastic laws regulating marriage and
divorce. but now that the call is for fed
eral regulation of everything, 1t may be
that the revelations Of the investigation
will lead to movement for a constitutional
amendment which will enable congress to
regulate marriage and divorce"
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