THE LAND OF DIVORCES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 180, 25 April 1908, Page 11

THE LAND OF DIVORCES.

/(Up,, to, January 1-of this year , (says the London Daily Telegraph ") marriage . and. :diyo'rce wore.'-.'.as- easy., as; possible- ; in.-' New i'ork. . For marriage, all. that was necessary was for a couplo. who. contemplated matrimony to 'find soriieone' .Who.,was willing to marry thorn.;" difficult, an alderman; '.a .notary,'"a I ..justice 'of . tho 'peace, or; any other , civil - officer could make ■the csremony' as- je'gally as an arcli!bishop/ .However,.' .thia!'' has' been altered ;'smc'e tho.. •begirimng.'of ■•'tho.vyear, . and-: it .is ;ifecessary'Vnow- that-'-tho ;for.malities ■as .-we ,knbw'. T thcin' b'o"goho ' fact 'that .who-have boon accustomed to the 'easy-going way .'of old New 'York regard the questions regarding the: place of residence,' the names-of' parents,. and . other particulars as extremely impertinent, v Of course,- the new rules were advertised somo time before they camo' into effect, with the. result that in ; order to- aVoid those embarrassing questions the city clerk's ■ office was besieged ,by hundreds of couples for days before the old year'arid old laws-.;expired.. So great was the , crowd r that the/desk's. were like. tho countorsj-at a' bargain sale, : .and' it frequently .happened that a. couple.',.had ,tb. : 'wajt, tnreo .or. four hi)urs. ' easily '-accomplished could .bo set 'aside with, almost equal facility,, and .after 'residing, for. a few, month's, in; what is called a " divorco colony," such as North' Dakota and somo others of. the States, either party was enabled to iobtain an annulment of ■ the' marriage ceremony. Every effort is being made by • President Roosevelt to.', get; all the'.States .to adopt a uniform' code of stringent; laws, such as those now iri ; forco in New; York Stato. -It is hoped that, easy divorco." will soon be impossible, but.'in a, country- where. I,Boo,ooo ; .divorces have .been' granted ; in;. tjvonty years, ; . 'and where 2921 "divorce 'mills" aro working overtime, and are still; far behind, such a' complete change may. bo found difficult -to accomplish. ; i V. '■