EASY DIVORCE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 286, 29 August 1931, Page 6

EASY DIVORCE

A Glimpse of Leningrad DRAB AND UNROMANTIC Dominion Special Service. j, ;■ i f ‘ f . ’ ' ■- ; • ■*' ’’ . ■ Auckland, August 27. Among places of interest visited in Russia last May by Dr. J, D. Salmond, o£ Dunedin, who returned to New Zealand by the Niagara, was a marriage and divorce court in Leningrad. The court was held in a room about twelve feet by sixteen feet in size, and two women at a table presided over it. Dr. Salmond saw a divorce in which no children were concerned, a divorce where there were children, and a marriage. I e r The divorce in the first place was by mutual, consent, and no questions were asked of the man and woman who attended. Somewhat to the amusement of ths visitors the wife helped to explain the proceedings to them. Some papers were filled in, two roubles—about four shillings—paid over, and. the divorce was complete in four minutes. The marriage was between a man of twenty-six and a wotaan of twenty-four, and.; they ‘-.produced passports and papers, including, a .certificate of medical fitness. If either of them proved unfit afterward he or she would be liable to proceedings by the other partner. Neither, bride nor bridegroom smiled until the visitors gave them a clap, as they retired. Again two roubles was the cost. Then a woman came along for a divorce from a man to whom she had been married for thirty years. The man was not present, bitt he sent a statement that ho was quite agreeable to the divorce. A form was made out telling him that he had been divorced, and informing him of the amount he would have to contribute from his wages for the support of his children under eighteen.. It all appeared very drab, and casual and unroinantic to the little group of English people who looked on.