These reports are the result of a collection of statistics of marriage and divorce for the years 1922- They represent the fourth- investigation on the subject made by the federal government. The first investigation, made by the former Department of Labor, covered the 20-year period 1867-1886; the second investigation made by the Bureau of the Census, covered the 20-year period 1887-1906; and the third investigation, also made by the Bureau of the Census, covered the calendar year 1916 cf. 1922, Letter of transmittal, p. ii.