Evening star., 1923-03-11
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

N N EASURES that affect the
4" children-and the children
yet unborn-of this country
will be given attention at
the coming session of Congress.
These measures include the proposed
constitutional amendment giving Con-
sress the power to regulate child Ia
Dor: tho proposed constitutional
amendment giving Congress the right
10 pass uniform marriage and divorce
laws for the entire country and the
proposed law to permit the dissemina-
tion of information relating to birth
control
In the Congress which has just
closed resolutions and bills covering
these three subjects were introduced
IN both Senate and House, but, of
course, died when the Sixty-seventh
Congress passed into history week
ago. The proposed constitutional
amendment for the regulation of
child labor was reported favorably
from the Senate judiciary committee
and was on the Senate calendar at
the close of the session. The resolu-
tions and bills on the other matters
mentioned were introduced, but not
reported to either house.
Urged by President Harding.
1t has been conceded generally that
The child labor resolution, proposing
an amendment to the Constitution, will
go through at the next session OF
congress and will be submitted to the
states for ratification. President
Harding has urged that action be
taken in one of his messages to Con-
gress. 1t is the only method by which
federal laws can be enacted dealing
with child labor, since the Supreme
Court has twice held child labor laws,
under existing conditions. to be un-
constitutional If the states ratify the
proposed amendment, as it is expected
they will then it will be UP to Con-
gress to put through the legislation.
The fate Of the proposal for a con-
stitutional amendment giving Con-
gress the power to enact marriage
and divorce laws is more problemati
cal. and 1t is believed that the pro-
ponents Of the legislation permitting
he dissemination of information re-
iatng to birth control will have great
difficulty in bringing about such ac-
ion.
Movement Gains Impetus.
The movement in favor of federal,
uniform laws relating to marriage
and divorce has gained great impetus
in the last few years. Statistics that
are really startling relating to un-
and unfortunate children of these
marriages, have been gathered, and
put forward by advocates of the
legislation The General Federation
Of Women's Club is strongly behind
tho movement, and, in fact. the bill
for uniform marriage and divorce
laws introduced in the Senate by
Senator Capper of Kansas, and in the
House by Representative Fairfield of
Indiana. The American Bar Asso-
citation also has gone on record in
favor of uniform divorce laws.
But Senator Capper and other sup
porters of the uniform marriage and
divorce laws realize that they will
have to contend with serious opposi-
ton from a number of quarters. There
will be those who hold that marriage
and divorce are matters that the in
dividual states Of the Union should
control: that the right of the states
SO to control should not be infringed
There are still others who will con-
tend that divorce should be made
easier than at present: that it should
5e easier to obtain a divorce in every
part of the country than under the
bill introduced by Senator Capper,
which. by the way, was drafted by
representatives OF the General Fed
grafton OF Women's Clubs. The
women who prepared the bill made a
careful study of conditions in this
country, covering more than a year,
and obtained competent legal advice
in framing the measure. It is needless
TO say that those-and there are some
who believe in abolishing the mar
riage ceremony and that the only
needed ground for divorce is that two
persons no longer care to live to-
gether, will be opposed to the
proposal
ScrapDinS OF Romance.
It may be said, also, that under the
proposed uniform marriage and