DIVORCE IN UNITED STATES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 7

DIVORCE IN UNITED STATES.

■■, "*—^—' In an article on United States divorce statistics the "Church Times" states:— Some twenty years ago statistics were compiled similar in scope to the present inquiry, so that it is possible to present comparative figures for a.period of nearly forty years. The increase in the number of divorces may bo stated in this way. If tho number of divorces in proportion to population had been the same in 1906 as it was in 1870, tho absolute number in 1906 would have been 24,398 whereas it was, in fact, 72,062.' When these figures are given in their relation' to the number of married couples, they present an even more distressing aspect. Thus, at the period represented by the figures for the year 1900 four married couples out of every thousand were being ' divorced annually, j m , 187 ° * ne number was on i y a jj out ono and a half divorces per thousand married couples. Of course there are wide variations throughout the different States due to a great variety of influences. Dr. Hill the writer of. tho report of the Bureau of the Umsu3 states:— ' "The composition of population as regards race or_ nationality; the proportion of immigrants m the total population, and the countries from which they came; the relative strength of tho prevailing religions, and particularly that of the Catholic faith; the variations in divorce laws and in the proceduro and practice of-the .courts granting divorce; the inter-State, migration of population either for the purpose.of obtaining a'divorce or for economical or other reasons not connected with divorce-all these are factors which probably affect the divorco rate " Besides the direct testimony to the'vair.o of the teachnig 0 tho. Homan Catholic Church, an indirect tribute is given iu the statement that "very noticeable is the small proportion of divorced marriages contracted in Ireland as compared with the largo proportion of Irish in the total foreigVborii population. The divorced marriages contracted in Germany are more than eight times as many as those contracted in Ireland, although tho German-born population is only about sixty-five por cent, larger than tho Irish." The most common single ground for divorco is desertion, and the next most important, for husbands, adultery, and for wives, cruelty. In no other class of divorces has tho percentage of increaso been £» marked as in those granted to tho husband for cruelty. An increaso of 238 per cent, moans that in tho last five J'ears of tho twenty-year period these divorces wero thrco and one-third times as numerous as they wero in the first five years. Drunkenness was tho alleged solo ground for divorco in 5.3 per cent, of the cases in which tho wife brought suit, and in 1,1 per cent, of the cases in which tho suit was brought by tho husband. But- in taking into account the alleged reasons for the decision of the Court, it.haa to bo remembered that'many American divorco suits are collusive actions. In fact, only 15.4. per cent, of the divorces granted between 1887 and 1906 were returned as contested, and probably in many of theso cases tho contesting 'was hardly more- than a formality, perhaps not extending beyond the filing of an answer, which often has the effect .of expediting tho process of obtaining the divorce, * ;