EARLIER AGE FOR MARRIAGE?

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 29 March 1938, Page 3

EARLIER AGE FOR MARRIAGE?

MEN AT 25. WOMEN AT 23 SUGGESTED REMOVAL OF BARRIERS A marrying age of 25 for men and ' 23 for women is recommended in the report of a committee headed oy the Bishop of Wellington, which has inquired into the problem of abortion. The report contradicts the that the marriage age has risen appreciably } in recent years, bringing figures tc prove that it has shown little change since the late years of last century. It suggests that earlier marriage .voulc give greater physical and moral statil- ; ity to the people and to the nation. "There is a widespread idea.' li e report says, "that the abortion vil Mid 1 the loosening of sexual restraint is j partly due to an increased period of [ waiting before marriage can be undertaken. and that the delay is due to the j pressure of economic conditions, which • are thought to be more rigorous to- j day, if regarded in relation to the modern demand for a closer approach to a luxury-standard of living, this idea ms based on the belief that the ever-! age age at marriage is sigmfitnnlly greater than it was. say. 40 years e go. i 1 F’igures. from the official New i'.viiand j Year Books, show up this error plain- j The report quotes the Year B > )k to ; show that the average age of nar.’uge ! for men in 1893 was 29.72 years, and for j I women 25.07 years. In 1913 Ine ages, I were 30.15 and 27.16, and in 1935. >9 94 ! and 26.27. In the intervening years j | there was little change. ! It is shown that of the people who married in 1935 the average age of j bachelors was 28.18. and of spinsters i 25.08. Divorced men averaged 41.05; and divorced women 36.58. Widowers averaged 50.28 and widows 45.35. "Whatever be the reason for the relative lateness in the times of marriage it would be to the advantage of the community if barriers to early marriage could be removed, and if public opinion were to come to favour this change.” the report says. ’’Other things being equal, earlier marriage gives both physical and moral advantages. It is the married people who, for the most

part, give stability to society. It is important that earlier marriage should carry with it the expectation of children. In the phrase ‘earlier marriage' is contemplated at an average Hge at marriage of 25 for bachelors and 23 icr spinsters.”