§ 417. Separability clause. If any part or provision of this article or the application thereof to any person or circumstance be adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall be confined in its operation to the part, provision or application directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered and shall not affect or impair the validity of the remainder of this article or application thereof to other persons or circumstances and the legislature hereby declares that it would have enacted this article or the remainder thereof had the invalidity of such provision or application thereof been apparent.