Arizona sun., 1948-08-13
Phoenix Attorney
Cites Urgent Need
OF Cancellation
Court in Arizona

Gertrude M. Converse, proml-
nent Phoenix Attorney, who is
seeking the nomination for Judge
of the Maricopa County Superior
Court, stated today, "that Arizona
is in desperate need of Children's
Court of Cancellation"
Through research and long ex-
perience as a lawyer, Miss Con-
verse has become fully aware of
such a need in progressive Arizona.
She feels that with such IA court
many marital problems could be
solved.
The Children's Court of Concil-
iation is not to be confused with
the Juvenile Court. The latter deals
with delinquent children, while the
Children's Cancellation Court works
with the ideal in view of preserv-
ing the marriage for the benefit of
the children and the home.
A report OF the Children's Court
of Cancellation in Los Angeles, re-
Gently published, shows h t
3788% reconciliations between par
ents were effected in the period
from March, 1947, to February %,
1948.
This court is in reality depart
ment of the Superior Court of Los
Angeles County, and is presided
over by the Hon. Georgia Bullock,
a veteran of "a years on the Los
Angeles Superior Court bench.
The procedure is unique. Hus-
band or wife may, either before or
after bringing suit for divorce, sep
arate maintenance, or annulment
of marriage, petition the Children's
Court of Cancellation to take jur-
isdiction for the purpose of pre-
serving the marriage by effecting
a reconciliation between the par
ents or for amicable settlement OF
the controversy between tn e
Spouses.
Two hundred and fifty-nine re-
cancellations were effected from
the 684 petitions invoking the jur-
isdiction of the Children's Court.
Five hundred and twenty children
were affected by the reconcilia-
tionS.
Miss Converse states that "where
Courts of Cancellation are in prac-
tice, it is definitely known that
parents are in many cases led to
see much of their selfishness, their
errors and the danger to the chill
dren. An effort to get them to see
AL1;u +,,,o roeD0pcibi1ifioS to tho
children, in disregard of parental
differences is one of the Courts
chief aims.
'It is the duty of the Court to
impress upon the parents. that
home is the dearest place on earth
to the child. If that place of securi-
ty is destroyed, the child in too
many cases is lost. The child of a
broken home often drifts into
gangs and other forms of delin-
quency because he has been de-
prived of the true meaning OF
home. In any event, it is high time
that we take action to safeguard
the rights of children in all divorce
cases."
The questions of family life have
become so universal, that research
has brought some rather interest
ing ideas to light. The following
should show the true purpose of
the Children's Court of Concilia-
ton.
A full-hour documentary on the
status of marriage and the family
in a changing society will be pre-
sented by the National Broadcast
ing Company during the latter
part of August, as announced by
Ken r. Dyke, N. B. C.'s admins
traative Vice-President.
"The mushrooming divorce rate
is one of the most disturbing fac
tors in American life," Dyke said.
"In 1890 there was one divorce for
every 16 marriages; now there is
one divorce for every three mar
riages. We hope to dramatize a