Show Capper Outlines Bill for Reform of Marriage and Divorce By Arthur Capper For a n long time I have haTe watched with alarm the growing marriage and divorce evil Divorce laws generally generally gen gen- need reform but the first and most vital question Is IB that the laws lawsin in all states should be ba identical The American Bar association considers this a necessary legal re reform reform reform re- re form aside from any merits of the question of making divorces easier or more difficult Th The General Federation of Women's Women's Vom Wom Wom- ens en's clubs believes that the laws should be uniform and that at nt the same time the grounds for divorce and laws for marrying should be made more conservative So I was quite glad to introduce the bill which was prepared at the direction of the direction of ot the federation b by Mrs Edwards Franklin White deputy at attorney attorney attorney at- at torney general of Indiana At the outset I am not prep o o state that I favor tavor all aU of the terms terns of he bill bili but It is a fair fall beginning and from it we should got get a reasonable reasonable reasonable reason reason- able same and safe nation wide e law The legislation is designed ned t to t prevent pre pre- vent hasty and foolish marriages Jt and to make divorce more difficult The age at which girls and boys may marry with consent of the parents is fixed at t 16 years for girls and 18 years year for boys In case of emergency when It Is lit expedient for those under this age to marry permission must be obtained obtained obtained ob ob- from the Judge of or the probate court In the city and county in which the marriage is to take place Age at which girls and boys bays s 's may marry without consent of the time theis parents is fixed at 18 and 21 years respectively Marriage is forbidden of the feebleminded of those afflicted with epilepsy Insanity or c communicable disease of ol blacks and whites of or Mongolians and whites and of ot those within the first degree of blood re re- re Application for marriage must I te lp P made by one of the tho parties to the prospective marriage two w weeks eks i before be- be e c- c fore issuance of the parties present affidavits U that they are not afflicted with communicable corn com disease and are normal mentally The application must be posted in the office of the clerk and ami andin an l lIn In his public r record cord Two witnesses In addition to the one who performs the ceremony must be present at every every every ev ev- ev- ev ery marriage Marriages must be reported in the county and in the state in which h they take place Penalties are arEl at attached attached at at- for infractions of the la taw law w Divorce will likewise be e safeguarded safe safe- safeguarded guarded under the terms of the proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed law Decree of divorce will be granted on the following Infidelity physical and mental cruelty cruel cruel- ty abandonment or failure to provide provide provide pro pro- vide for one ono year or more Incurable incurable incurable incura incura- ble insanity or the commission of a felony telony Application for divorce must be made sixty days clays prior to the trial o of the case Every effort must be made mad through personal service to reach the tho theone theone one who Is sued If this Is Impossible then notice of the application for the divorce be published weekly in a paper of ot general circulation in the town of his or her residence If the ent eat fa falls fails Us to answer then his or her name must be listed on the appearance appear ance ante docket of the court In tn which the case is 18 to be tried and the judge will assign a member of the district attorneys attorney's office to represent th j 1 state in the trial of the case The guardianship of the child chUd or children must be equal if both parents parents par par- are are fit but where the tho mother Is mentally or morally fit she shall shaU be awarded the custody of the minor children Both parents shall shaU have haTe access to the children unless there Is Js some powerful reason why this should not be so TH Ia All an eases cases the welfare of or the children shall te lie the first consideration to tk tile the Judge e who awards custody Alimony a apor aM por port of ot the child chUd shall baIl be left leU to the discretion of or the jud judge An Interlocutory period shell elapse after the granting of a divorce before the divorce becomes flail During that period of one year neither neith er party shall marry again In case cap of reconciliation the two may take up their lives liTes again upon dismissal al of Df the suit within that period The idea Is not to make stake divorce easier only easier only to make marriage sar safer I Ifor for the young to Insure the ell cb n ami aurl of the future better health heredity and to prevent hasty i is 1 ml nd lii- lii considered marriages marriage n. n |