The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-01-20
The Times-News Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel

RALEIGH, Jan. 20.-Desplte
some opposition, the Wilson
Thompson bills repeating North
Cardinals stringent marriage
law, requiring a physical eXaml-
nation and five days notice from
minors in lieu Of parental con-
sent, was passed by the house
yesterday, and may be approved
by the senate at an early date,
thus ending the states four-year
''noble experiment.
While welfare and health or
CARNATIONS are unalterably op-
posed to any let-down in the
marriage restrictions, which were
hailed as important reforms at
the time they went into effect,
a majority of members of the
legislature seem 10 be convinced
that while the present marriage
laws are praiseworthy in theory,
they cannot be effective so long
as South Carolina and Virginia
have comparatively lax require
ments. 49,. a.
The co-authors of the bill, rep
resenting two border counties
which have been hard-hit by the
present laws, claim that their
bill would bring back into the
state at least $4,000 annually
that is now going into the col
fore If the Gretna Greens Of
South Carolina and Virginia.
Opponents of the present law
claim that it has failed to be eff
fective and that the very persons
whom it is directed against are
the ones who are going across
the border to be married. Sup
porters of the law. hoping to
point an example" to North
Cardinals bordering states and
to persuade them to do likewise,
admit that the law is not wholly
effective but claim that it does
act as something of deterrent
to undesirable marriages.
The Wilson-Thompson bills were
among the first introduced in
the present session Of the assem-
bly,. and were speedily given a
favorable report by House Judi
ciary No. l. However, they
were re-referred to the commit
tee when it was learned that
some of the women's and welfare
organizations, who have long OPP
posed any change in the present
restrictions, wanted to be heard
on the matter.
The committee heard these or
ganizations at meeting Wednes-
day, but again returned a favor
able report. Appearing before
the committee in support of the
present marriage laws were Mrs.
J. Henry Highsmith, executive
secretary of the North Carolina
Federation of Women's clubs;
DR.. Dixon-Carroll, prominent wo-
man physician of Raleigh, and
DR.. James M. Parrot, state
health officer.
''The amount of money North
Carolina would save by repeal
ing the present marriage require
ments-even if it were 100000
would be small amount to
paw to save the lives of even 10
North Carolina boys and girls"
DR.. Carroll told the committee.
All of the proponents of the
marriage restrictions were firm
ir their belief that such safe
guards as the present law re-
quires were not things tnat could
be reckoned in terms of dollars
and cents. ,
Mrs. Highsmith told the COM
mittee that many of the couples
going outside the state to marry
were not doing so because Of the
medical examination, but because
it cost much less for a marriage
license in Virginia and South
Carolina, and proposed that a
lower license fee be set up in
North Carolina. A proposal to
require girls who go out Of the
state to marry to register their
marriage certificates in their
home counties and to pay fee
of $3.50, was made to the COM
mittee, but received no endorse
ment by the members.
Representative Taylor Of Meek
lenburg, a member of the COM
mittee, spoke in favor of the
Wilson-Thompson measure, de-
claring that "85 per cent of