DEBATE BY STUDENTS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 232, 27 June 1932, Page 10

DEBATE BY STUDENTS

Companionate Marriage DIVORCE & CHILDREN Vote Against System Varsity students—young men and women—debated at Victoria College on Saturday evening the desirability of some form- of trial or companionate marriage. The evening was arranged by the college debating society and a vote taken at the end showed that any new system of trial marriage was viewed with disfavour by the large majority of members. A vote of the entire audience showed that it was of the same mind also. A feature of the debate was the frankness with which the aspects of the question were discussed by men and women speakers alike.

The opening speaker traced the history of marriage up to the present day, stressing modern developments such as the emancipation of women, the increase in the facilities for divorce and the discovery of reasonably safe methods of birth control. The ever-increasing number of divorces showed, he said, that marriage was failing to adapt itself to changing conditions, and that a breakdown of the whole system was imminent. Present-day economic conditions by preventing early marriage left only the alternatives of repression and promiscuity. The solution would be a system of companionate marriage whereby the parties agreed to contract a childless union until they felt sure that a permanent union would not be unhappy and that they could afford to support children. Such a system would bring under., social control a situation that was largely beyond the control of existing laws and conventions. Seeds of Decline. Mr. T. Taylor, who opposed the motion, said, with ail due respect to the mover of the motion, that no great man had ever advocated trial marriage. The history of France in the last 50 years and of Imperial Rome showed that birth control had in it the seeds of the decline of civilisation. After trial marriages they could return to their normal lives. Mr. K. J. Scott, who seconded the motion, said that the introduction of companionate marriage would merely involve openly approving what very many people were already practising. Mr. H. J. Bishop seconded Mr. Taylor., He considered that the purpose of marriage was that set forth in the Prayer Book—the procreation of children. Couples did not have to live in companionate marriage to find whether they were suited to each other, for if they had love, faith, and trust they knew they were suited; and if they had not they should not marry. Companionate marriage was not possible ’as- a trial. Mr. R. J. Reardon said that the fault was not with the marriage system, but with an economic system which pre-, vented early marriage. • According to Mr. H. R. Bannister the Introduction of a system of companionate marriage would put an end to the evils of the present divorce systemcollusion, perjury, and hypocrisy.' Two Women Speakers. Miss C. S. Forde said that under present conditions no tinkering with marriage laws would'solve the problem. She insisted that all questions of women’s rights and wrongs resolved themselves into this —that she was economically dependent upon man. If a wife had a claim in her own right to a share in the national wealth she would emerge into a greater freedom. In choosing a mate she would no longer be driven by hard necessity to accept the most eligible offer from a worldly point of view. The time would come, said Miss Forde, when wifehood and motherhood would be regarded as the most sacred of all duties, and would be rewarded accordingly. When that day came it might be claimed of marriages, as is unjustifiably claimed of them to-day, that they are made in heaven. Miss Z. Henderson considered that a true marriage should provide a suitable environment for the education of children. It was essential that the parties to a marriage should be able to support children. The chairman was Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, junior, and the judge Mr. W. J. McEldowney. Miss Forde was judged the best speaker of the evening.