MARRIED BY REGISTRAR.

Mataura Ensign, 24 February 1909, Page 4

MARRIED BY REGISTRAR.

F UNCTIONS OF THE OFFICE. During the course of a conversation with a Wellington 'Post' reporter the Wellington Registrar (Mr Hodgkilis) gave some indication ot marriage business in tho liegistry Office. Out of 1070 marriages last year 237 were celebrated by the Registrar. In 15X17 the proportion of marriages in the Wellington district that belonged to tho Registrar's office was 21.98 per cent, and last year it was 22.11 per rent. The most marriages were solemnised by Presbyterian ministers. All that it costs to be married by the registrar is .12 os. Al a marriage iu church the minister's fee ranges liom CI to 10, in addition to Registrar's fees, which, lor persons resident in the district the requisite time, are t' 1 2s (id. Additional expense is accounted for in choral services, tips, cabs with white horses and wedding favors and drivers in silk hats, besides "the photographing of the party and tile provision of a wedding breakfast on a large or small scale. It seems that many couples patronise the Registrar's office in order that they mayapply their small savings to the subsequent expenses of marriage. At tho office a marriage can bo fixed up in ten minutes. As far as Air Hodgkilis could see the intention of the parties that came to be married by him was not to avoid the religious obligations of matrimony hut to avoid extravagance. He thought, however, that there was one advantage of the Registry Office that might commend itself to ladies—viz., the Registrar exacted no promise from the bride to "love, honor and obey." The Act docs not specify that a ring must be used. The Registrar's office in Wellington appears to have come to be regarded as a general information bureau and the staff is kept busy al! day and the Registrar himself is often called on to perform little duties outsido of office hours and on Sundays and holidays,