Evening star., 1937-09-11
LICENSES TO WE'D
FEWER AS NEWLAW
GOES INTO EFFECT
Statute Requiring 3-Day
Wait Before Marriage Off
to Smooth Start.
FIRST PERMIT GOES
TO DISTRICT COUPLE
Bridegroom-to-Be Calls It Good
Luck 0men-New Yorkers
Protest Delay.

The Districts new marriage law,
requiring three-day wait between
the application for the license and
the tying of the bonds, got off to a
smooth start today, although there
was an appreciable drop in the num-
Der Of applications. A decrease in the
number of out-of-town applications
had been forecast by some.
Only 10 applications we're filed this
morning. as compared with the Satur-
day average of 35.
Mrs. Maud Rynex, the marriage IL
cense clerk, said there had been no
complaint about the boosting of the
fee from 50 to $3.50. but that one
couple from New York protested at
having to wait three days after driv-
ing all the way to the Capital How
ever, they decided to make the best
Of the situation and take out the IL
cense anyway.
Two young couples, unaware of the
changed law, preferred not to wait,
one going to Virginia and the other
to Maryland. where they could be
married without delay.
Obtain First License.
First to obtain license under the
new law we're William Robert Davis,
&c, and Lucille Virginia Ryalls, 10,
both of 2210 Thirtieth street SOUTH
east.
Davis, Navy Yard photographer,
said he and Miss Ryalls reached the
court house a few minutes after the
marriage license bureau had opened
at 9 o'clock, but had made no special
effort to be first to obtain a license
under the new law.
However" he added, "I am glad
that We were the first because con-
slider it a good luck omen. Something
like that is just the thing to insure
a happy marriage"
In the case of Davis and Miss Ryalls,
the three-day wait is meaningless as
they had not planned to be married.
until September 25. The bridegroom
to-be explained, however, that he ap-l
piled for the license early since heS
believed in being fully prepared" forI
such an important event and wanteds
ample time to attend to the necessary
preliminary details.
Miss RyalIs Stenographer.
Miss Ryalls is employed as a pri-
vate stenographer. They will be mar
ried by Rev. Glenn B. Faucet.
The New York couple was Anthony
Pagano, So. and Filomena Cresce. "a.
both of Ozone Park, ~. Y. Mrs. Rynex
said they told her they would have
gone to Virginia for their license, exc
cept for the fact that Miss Cresce
had obtained Mexican divorce from
former husband, and such DEGREES
are not recognized in that State. They
came to Washington today in the mis-
taken belief the new law would not
go into effect until Monday.
The increased cost of marriage
licenses came about in this way:
For many years there has been a
law on the statute books that so
cents must be charged for the ad-
ministration of an oath. Apparently
no one thought it applied to the
Issuance of licenses. Then Col. Charles
E. Stewart, court clerk, began study
ing the effect of the three-day license
law and discovered the fee would
have to be boosted.
Turning to the Justice Department
for confirmation of his views. he was
told his Interpretation was correct.
At first it was thought the three
day statute, which really is a five
day statute, would not become ef-
fective until Monday.
Then officials discovered they had
made a mistake as to the date it was
signed by President Roosevelt, and
the 80 days which had to pass before
it could go into effect must be CAL
culated on a different basis.
The trouble arose because the presi-
dents approval of the act was not
announced until two days after he
had signed it.
Mrs. Rynex said the mistake had the
effect of preventing last-minute r,,sh
for licenses just before the expiration
of the old law.
Th1rty-nine licenses we're issued
yesterday, which is about normal for
this time of year. Eight of the
couples were from out of the city.