The Washington herald., 1909-02-07

So widely appalling has become the
divorce evil in this country that the
nation and the State. with social Organi-
cations and churches, are devising means
for its decrease. One Of the best remedies
is found in a bill drawn by Bernard Rab-
binO. OF New York, and which viii be
presented at the present session Of the
legislature or that. State. This bin pro
vides for a special domestic relation court
in which viii be tried all cases arising
from troubles between husband and wife,
all domestic questions that bear On the
happiness and stability OF the home
There is a greater number Of these
eases than OF csses taken 10 the child
rens courts. Il is argued that these
have no more place in police courts and
before criminal court judges than had
the cases Of children before the days Of
Juvenile courts
In Manhattan and Bronx alone. there
are between 1900 and 15.oo3r divorces
granted annually It is believed by the
author Of the bin that the number would
be greatly diminished il the cases could
be heard before a court created especi-
aIIy for this purpose. and so be robbed
OF the notoriety and the distasteful pub
Hcity that comes with the hearing OF
such cases under the present system
/ He argues that such a court IS even oi
more Importance than the chiIdren''
courts when It comes to a question OF the
preservation OF the family. Even as
/ the children's courts. through their ex-
ceueut probation system and the careful
/ espionage Of officers over dependents and
Idelinquents. prevent further delinquency
SO would the domestic courts prevent
/ litigation and otherwise safeguard III
/ homes Of the poor.
! The Bureau Of Census OF the Depart
I ment OF Commerce and Labor recently
icompieted an exhaustive inquiry into th'
/ number Of divorces granted in the United
/ States from the year 1SS7. when siulilsl
/ census had been completed. 10 1876 /
went into the causes OF these divorces
/ the sizes Of the families involved. th'
social and Industrial status Of the Iii
gants. the diversity Of State laws on TIL
subject. and other facts OF general anC
! specific relation 10 the question 0
/ divorce
This census was begun on the first o
August. 1916. and completed in about
year. Three hundred experts were pu
IN the field 10 gather the needed data
Wis ting the county seats Of the larges
counties IN each state and Territory -of n
/ United States. In the remote and nor
isparsely settled counties the county clerl
collected the material under special con
tract with the census Office How bi
the task was. and how much time
took 20 cover the ground, can be inferre
from the fact that at one time seventy
I'VE OF the staf were at work IN Chi
cage. and one Of the officials IN chsrg
spent six months IN Milwaukee supeTvis
ing the work OF large staff. After II
data had been collected the work OF tai
ulating was done iH the Washingto
Office Half the report has already bee
given the public. the result OF fOU
months hard work.
In 1870 the number of divorces pe
10000 population VAS % In l95. the las
year OF An accurate census. the nUmbs
was s. per 100o10. nearly three time
as many divorces TO the population a
There had been thiTty-fve years befor
Prosperity. il seems, has a very clos
relation 20 divorce Whether increase
riches with greater leisure and enlarge
industrial activities of the nation bTee
the discomfort or the fast living that lead
many TO divorce IS a question OF discus
sion. At any rate, the average Of c
vorces was greatly lowered n the fy
ivear period between fSs2 and 1876. Whe
there was q general business depressio
| and a countrywide CIV Or hard time
n 1924 the marriage rate also decrease
greatly. for both marrying and dIvorcin
We're TOO expensive then. IN the III
years of prosperity following the yee
1893 the increase both in marriages ar
divorces was great
/ Under the laws in Athens OF Ode
zines. g man could put away his wife