Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-04
APPROVAL Of D. c.
L|BERAL|zED LAW
ON DIVORCE SEEN
Favorable Report to Com.
mittee Forecast After
Hearing.
HACKERS DENY BILL
WOULD SET UP mill"
Measure May Be Speeded to
Passage in House on Next
District Day, Monday.
BY JAMES r. CHM.

Liberalized divorce laws for the Dis
trict moved another step toward real
ization today following public hear
ing before the judiciary Subcommittee
of the House District Committee, at
which the proposed legislation was in
dorsed by lawyers and civic leaders.
Representative Palmisano. Demo-
crat, of Maryland. chairman Of the
subcommittee, announced after the
hearing he probably would favorably
report the Senate-approved divorce
bill to the full District Committee at
its weekly meeting tomorrow. This
would place it on the House calendar,
if Endorsed by the full committee. in
time for passage Monday, the next
District day in the House.
Palmisano said he might suggest
an amendment or two to the Senate
bill in the section containing the
residence requirements. He fears the
measure in its present form, stipu-
lating that a divorce decree shall not
be granted to any person who has
not been a resident of the District
for at least a year before the ap-
plication for divorce, ans who has
not been a bona flde resident for at
least two years before the application
therefor for any cause which &C.
Cured outside the District and prior
TO the residence therein, might prove
confusing.
Bans Divorce Mill"
Palmisano announced during the
hearings he desired to give the Dis
trict a broader divorce law, but not
one that would make the city a
divorce mill"
Il will not approve any law" he de-
clared, That will make Washington
dumping ground for Maryland and
Virginia divorces I am willing to
see the District get respectable di-
vorce law But We should do no more
for the District than Maryland and
Virginia"
/ Palmisano made his statement after
Mrs. Martha Gold. chairman of the
Legislative Committee of the Womans
! Bar Association. had described the
/ simplicity of procuring a divorce in
| Arlington County, Va. which she de-
scribed as Washington divorce mill.
I Mrs. Gold cited statistics to show
that in the period between 1929 and
! 1881, inclusive, there we're 526 mar
riages in the COUNTY and 469 divorces.
She gave the figures as follows:
1929-178 marriages. 1852 divorces.
1930-165 marriages, 149 divorces.
Mrs. Gold leveled her charge at
Arlington County after Chairman
Palnisano had announced his desire
to give the District broader divorce
Law. but not one that would make the
city a divorce mill"
Minimizes mill" Fear.
! Jean NJ. Boardman. a Washington
attorney specializing in domestic re-
, lations cases. insisted the bill would
/ not make the District divorce mill "
This measure" he declared, will not
| encourage any one to come here for
! a divorce. There would be no danger
of any one in Maryland and Virginia
coming here to take advantage of our
divorce law"
Representative Carter. Democrat, of
| Kansas. author of a companion bill to
! the one passed by the Senate last
month. said he believed the measure
I to be very conservative and expressed
belief it should be further liberalized
to make abandonment for one year
and gross neglect Of duty grounds
for absolute divorce.
Cruelty Included.
The bill would make cruelty. de-
sertion for two years, separation for
| five consecutive years without CO.
habitation, habitual drunkenness for
one year and conviction of a felony
| involving moral turpitude and in
/ durable insanity for years grounds
| for absolute divorce. Adultery now is
the only ground on which an absolute
| divorce is granted.
| Elwood Seal. assistant corporation
counsel of the District, said the Com
miSSioners had examined the bill and
| found no objection % it.
! George E. Sullivan told the sub
/ committee the Federation of Citizens
Associations has taken the position
that there should be a uniform di-
vorce law for the United States and
the District law should provide the
| pattern.
| George C.. Gertmann. secretary of
the District Bar Association. pointed
out that the bill was prepared by a
committee of outstanding lawyers.
This is an excellent bill" he de-
clared. I'VE have given you the best
and fairest measure possible 1t is
impossible to prepare a document of
| this kind to which some one will not
find an objection"
Woman Asks Amendment.
Nina T. Thomas. representing the
Portia Club, urged several amend
ments. one of which would make
"incompatability of temperament" an
additional ground for absolute di-
vorce She said another amendment
should be added so that infants would
be named defendants in divorce pro-
ceedings so they would have the bene-
At of guardian ad Item. Infants
are the real sufferers in all divorce
cases." she declared.
Gertmann vigorously opposed her
uggestion-Mexico and the State Of
New Mexico are the only places, he
explained, where divorces are granted
for "incompatability of temperament"
Gertmann said such a provision
would make the District a greater
divorce mill" than Reno.
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