NEW HIGH LEVEL

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 151, 23 December 1940, Page 8

NEW HIGH LEVEL

MARRIAGE FIGURES

OVER 2700 TO DATE THIS YEAR

INFLUENCE OF WAR

Although 1940 is not yet quite at an end, marriage licences issued by the Wellington registrar this year already exceed the number for last year, when a new high-level record was "established. The figure for 1939 was 2561, and to date this year the number of licences issued is 2747. Marriages by the registrar this year have shown a slight drop in numbers during the past few months, and for this reason the total of these marriages for the year so far—sß2—is short of the total for 1939, when the number of marriages before the registrar at Wellington was 633. The indications, however, are that this year's total will pass the 600-mark, for there were nine marriages to be performed by the registrar today,, and when "The Post" reporter called he was told that so far six or seven more had been "booked" for tomorrow. The words "so far" were used advisedly, because experience has shown that even when it comes to marriage there are some people who leave everything to almost the last minute. There has been nothing strikingly unusual about the ages of the contracting parties in respect of whom licences have been issued this year. There have been some instances in which a considerable disparity has been shown in ages, but on the average the ages have been between 25 and 35. Statistics show that when a war breaks out the number of marriages always increases in the first year of the war. When the number of single men going overseas falls off, then there is a falling off, too, in the marriage rate, but the rate increases again after a war is over and men return to re-enter civil life. TREND CLOSELY FOLLOWED. This trend is being closely followed in the case, of the present war, according to the Wellington registrar's figures. In September, 1939; the month in which New Zealand became involved in the war, 340 marriage licences were issued, compared with 169 in September, 1938, and 144 in September this year. In October last year 238 licences were issued, and in October this year the number was 194. Over 40 per cent, of the total licences for last year were issued in the last four months of the year, from September to December. An analysis of the number of- marriages by the registrar similarly shows the way marriage figures jump up in the early months of war. 'Up to the end of August this year the number of marriages by the registrar since the beginning of January was actually greater than the number for the corresponding period of eight months in 1939. Since August, however, the number has gradually decreased, compared with the position from September last year after war had broken out. In September last year there were 94 marriages by the registrar compared with 47 in September, 1938, and 34 in September of this year. The holding of the Exhibition in Wellington also served to increase the Wellington marriage figures. The war, however, has been the main factor. Every time men of the armed forces have been on extended leave the Wellington registry office has been busy, and the establishment of the Air Force training centre at Rongotai has brought additional "business" to the office.