MARRIAGE PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 125, 20 February 1941, Page 9

MARRIAGE PROBLEMS

Justice Department’s New

Activity

CONCILIATION MEASURES Dominium Speciai Servict

DUNEDIN, February 19. "After this war is over there will be many young married men returning to civilian life with an entirely changed outlook. This is an additional problem to the many faced by married people in the Dominion today,” said Mr. James Wylie, advisory officer to the Justice Department under the Domestic Proceedings Act, 1939, in an address to the Otago Justices of the Peace Association. Mr.'Wylie outlined the steps that were being taken by the department under the Act to solvo the marriage problems by conciliation before they reached the Courts. Sometimes we find young couples with great love and loyalty for each other facing grave risks and problems when they are married,” said Mr. Wylie, "and especially is this so today, when men are leaving for the war fronts. These young couples will nee'd great strength and courage to meet the difficulties that will arise when the men return after the war. There aro .so .many things which lead to inertia, indolence, misery, crime and disease, and those who are acting as conciliators must realize that, although young people today are entitled to their variety and thrills in life, they must be led aud guide'd, not driven.

"It is a great pity,” he continued, “that we could not cut out some of this congratulatory nonsense when people get married and replace it with some sound advice. It is a pity, too, that some people who go to get married are ever married at all. If I were a minister I woul'd refuse to marry ■some of them. Many young men and women do not realize the problems that they have to face after marriage, and such things as lack of money, living with relatives and time payment often lead to trouble. The difficulty with so many young people today is that they have an immature outlook on life, A Preventive Measure. "The Domestic Proceedings Act is a preventive measure,” Mr. AVylie said, “to make the world better for the children that are growing up today. AVe talk about making the world safe for democracy; it would be much bettor if we made it safe for the children. If the home is right the members of that home will eventually go out into the world and do good, and the Justice Department is aware of the importance of keeping the home right for the children to save them from Borstal institutions.”

Explaining the steps taken by the department under the Act, Mr. AVylie said that the main provision of the Act wax to set up machinery to explore the possibility of conciliation before disputes reached Hie Court. Citizens had been selected in 158 towns in New Zealand to act as conciliators if ami when they were required by tin- magistrate. A conciliator might carry on from ease to case, lint there must: be elasticity, so that it was often better to appoint different conciliators for different cases.

A conciliator had to be a .man of good standing, capable of making decisions, with an understanding of mon and women, ami above all, he had to have honesty of purpose. He .should try to give couples a plan in life, first finding out what their existing plan was. and ascertain what they (lid with their leisure time. Behind it. all was the great point—a conciliator must throw out a challenge to the man and the woman to make a better thing of life.