The Washington times., 1924-09-12
FAV0RS BAN ON
BOY AND GIRL /
MARRIAGES
New York Legislature Will Be
Asked to Restrict Issu-
ance of Licenses
ny international News Service.

NEW YORK, Sept. 12.--Lovers
win have to count ten before
dashing up the altar steps If State
Senator Antin has his way. He
wants the law to play traffic cop
with two types Of matrimonial
speeding-the child marriage and
the hasty marriage.
The senator is chairman Of the
New York State commission to
examine laws relating to child
welfare. This group is prepared
to urge, at the next session of the
legislature, the passing of two bills.
The first Is the Child Marriage
Bill" 1t would forbid the issue of
marriage licenses to children un-
der sixteen years of age except by
a special court order.
The second is called the "T1asty
Marriage Bill," which would bro
vide that a license may not be Is.
sued until five days after the filing
of an application.
Sixteen Must Be Served.
Sometimes, but only rarely, it is
possible to make people over
eighteen listen to reason, or to
listen to their elders, which does
not always seem or mean the same
thing. But under eighteen, girls
and boys who plan to marry Sc.
cretly do not stop for advice and
would spurn it, anyway.
Did you know that the first
place the police hunt for, missing
girls is the marriage license de.
partment? Here are to be found
the lovely little liars who swear
they are over eighteen, and, more
often than not, are dressed and
painted to look old and weary.
Marriages Now Casual.
Those are combinations of the
child and the hasty marriages,
Some child marriages are arranged
by parents, on both sides agreeable
20 the situation. And a situation
-trowned upon in this country. If
senator Antin puts over the new
pilis, only court Of law. and not
Latner and mother, may approve
such premature pairing-off.
Mrs. Mary Hamilton, director of
poiicewonen in New York city, in
her work with girls, has come to
these conclusions about youthful.
az Well as hasty marriages:
Marriage, from being a sacra-
ment, has come to be a conven-
fence. A convenience we can dis
pose OF easily II we don't like it.
TITS about time we got back to
looking on marriage as sacred.
A Life Contract.
I'VE need something to call our
attention to the idea Of marriage
being life contract, to make
young girls think before they. jump
into a car with man, get drunk
and then get married all of a
sudden and regret it.
These bills also ought to have
the effect Of hating Adventures.
Senator Antin offered the sur.
prisfng information that children do
marry in New York State.
According to the only available
figures in New York State outside
OF New York CITY," said Senator
Antin, "157N children were married
under the age Of sixteen years in
1919; three Of them at thirteen
years; twenty-eight at fourteen
years, and 131 at fifteen years.
AN objection made to the pro.
posed law Is that among foreign.
born girls Of certain nationalities
early marriage is an established
custom, and that our legislation
must take this into account. The
commissions Child Marriage Bill
does so, for 1t allows girl OF
sixteen to marry, this being "a
much lower age than is usual
among native girls here. There
seems to be no good reason for
any greater concession than this.
Slow and Legal Way.
"It has also been urged that
when parents give consent to the
marriage OF their child, the State
should not interfere. But it is well
known that many parents do not
know what the best interests oil
their children demand in a matter
Of this kind. AS the many cases
cited to the commission show
parents are often as blind to tbs
dangers Of child marriage as they
are to the injury Of child labor"
WED in haste, repent at leisure
may change to:
Make haste slowly-and legally.
| Yo1a;fa1 fnrhSha 5on,fror %,,~&hou dn