The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-11
Bellows Falls WOman's Club
Ask That Marriage Law
be Revamped
LOCAL ATTORNEY is
ASKED TO DRAW BILL
It Is Expected That the Measure VIII
Be Introduced by Representative F.
1. Osgood-Has Been Easy Money for
the Town Clerk.

BELLOWS FALLS, Nov. l.-Returns
MED at the office of the town clerk show
that III marriage ceremonies were per
formed here during October practically all
OF which were those of out of town cou-
pies. Since January l there have been 733
marriages performed here, and of these
about 200 have been of couples who have
come from outside the state
The marriage traffic has aroused the dis
approval of the Bellows Falls Woman's
club and in its meeting this week a resolu-
ton against the practice was adopted The
resolution, which was presented by Mrs.
" I. Stockwell, was as follows
believing that the existing Vermont
laws, regulating the issuing of marriage
licenses are inadequate and in their appli-
cation have tendency to cheaper, ridicule
and lessen the respect for sacred rela-
| tlon, we hereby resolve that we are in ia
| vor OF law similar TO laws in neighbor-
ing states, requiring a five days notice
before marriage license can be issued:
| and we petition the representative to the
/ General Assembly from the town of Rock
ingham and the senators from the county
LOT Nindham to use their influence and
effort to secure the passage of such a law
! by the next General Assembly of the state
of Vermont"
local attorney has said that he has
lbcen asked by the Woman's club to pre-
'pare bill which will contain the changes
the women desire and Representatives
Dr. +. l.. Osgood of Saxtons River will be
asked to present it to the legislature
Because OF the publicity local marriages
have received, it is thought the bill may
have better success than did similar bills
which were presented to the last two
legislatures and which were killed
Brattleboro has also been a Gretna
Green, but the number of marriages there
are not more than half the number Of
those performed in Bellows Falls.
The local Woman's club is not the only
Organization which has put itself on record
as opposed to the present marriage laws
In recent convention of the Congrega-
tional churches of Windham county, which
was held in Putney, a resolution deploring
Icondltlons was adopted. A few weeks ago,
lprevious TO the big Sunday school converi-
tlon which was held in Brattleboro, it was
reported that similar resolutions would be
presented there, but SO far as known they
were not presented, although resolutions
Iueploflng the comnerclallZIng of SUNDAY
BY the playing of baseball and kindred
Isports were introduced and adopted.
1t the present plans to have a bill pre-.
sented are followed out and it is passed it
will strike blow to an industry whicla
has assumed good-sized proportions in this
town. Besides the 81 which the couple.
leave with the town clerk, in payment 10.
the marriage license, some of the justices
and all the ministers, with the exception
OF the rector of the Roman Catholic
church. have been realizing tidy sums in
marriage fees. The rector of the Roman
Catholic church will not marry a couple
unless the prospective bride and bride
groom have the consent in writing oil
their parish priest As they have this only
in rare instances he will not perform the
Iceremony.