MARRIAGE AGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 6

MARRIAGE AGE.

RAISING SUPPORTED,

ADVOCACY OF MINISTER.

u NO ARGUMENT AGAINST IT."

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day,

"I don't know of any possible argument against this measure, except that of a family wishing to protect its honour by condemning a girl to a life of misery because some brute in human form had taken advantage of her innocence," said the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Justice, in the House yesterday, when moving the second reading of the Marriage Amendment Bill, the main provision of which raises the age of consent to marriage to 1C years for both sexes. It was pointed out by the Ministerthat the bill had been advocated again and by the National Council of Women, and 'lie had informed the organisation, when a strong deputation met him in Auckland recently, that he was in favour of the alteration. The measure before the House was in redemption of his promise. Tli© bill appeared to be one that would appeal to every member who took an interest in the welfare of New Zealand. For many years, with respect to the marriage age, New Zealand and Australia had lagged behind other countries. Mr. Cobbe gave the following figures showing the age provided for in the countries mentioned: France, bojs 18, girls 10; Germany, 20 and 16; Spain, 18 and 16; Greece, 10 and 14; Holland, 18 and 10; Italy, 18 and 15; Switzerland, 21 and 19; Norway, 20 and 18; Sweden, 21 and 18. Child Unions. Referring to the present New Zealand marriage ages of 14 for boys and 12 for girls, the Minister said that quite a number of girls of 14 and 15 years of age had been married in the Dominion, and, taking into consideration the difference in population, there had been more child marriages in New Zealand than in Britain. When a bill raising the marriage age went before the House' of Commons it was passed without discussion, and ho was hopeful that the same procedure would be followed on the present occasion in New Zealand. The other clause in the bill protided for the performance of the marriage ceremony by women ministers of religion. He said he had received letters from women's organisations all over the Dominion commending the Government on its decision to proceed with the bill; Evidently the measure was a very popular one. Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition: Have there been any objections from any of the Churches? The Minister: No. From the Dark Ages. "The women of New Zealand are determined not to rest until this measure has passed through both Houses," said Mrs. E. R. McCombs (Labour, Lyttelton). She declared that in the c-ase of the marriage age and other social matters the Dominion was just emerging from the Dark Ages. She congratulated the Minister on promoting the legislation, whiah, she added, represented a distinct step forward in the reform of, the social laws. The fact that the law permitted the marriage of a girl aged 12; to a boy aged 14 was a blot on civilisation. It was a state of affairs which allowed irresponsible children to enter the most solemn responsibility of life. The age of consent was 10 years, yet that for marriage was 12. Thus a child could consent to protect a man from the results of his criminal offence. The bill was read a second time.