THE MARRIAGE MARKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19141, 6 October 1925, Page 5

THE MARRIAGE MARKET.

AGENCIES !M GERMANY. t BARONS AT A DISCOUNT It is typical of the state of the German money market that at this time of year, says a Berlin correspondent writing on July 30, when Germany's chief matrimonial agents leave Berlin for the leading hotels of Nauheim, Kissmgen, Karlsbad and Eomburg—Wiesbaden is out of favour since the Allied occupation they are setting forth less on an expedition likely to end in several autumn weddings than on one that is to raise credits for big industrial firms. This form of activity has been the necessary corollary of a profession once so lucrative that to engineer marriages, not only between Germans, but between Scandinavian, Dutch and Austrians, was. to ensure a comfortable fortune. The leading spirit of the biggcit of these agencies, with 3000 marriages to her credit, stretched over a period of 25 years, stated just before her departure for Karlsbad that the war has made more differences to moral's than optimists know. Not the morals upon which social standards are built up, which have righted themselves again, but of the kind that rule debts of honour. Fees for Intro ducirg likely husbands to possible wive;? are not recognised, in any Continental Court, prevalent though the custom is. Before the war both the Continental business man's and nobleman's word was such that, however high the percentage demanded, he paid the sum cheerfully, somewhere about the wedding cay. Today the words " I will pay when I can M signify very little. Ready money is so scarce that one seldom " can." Hence Cupid is being exchanged for credits, and the skilful agent of former days, besides arranging for the gentleman fro;h Hamburg to meet the lady from Salsbnrg at Karlsbad, uses her knowledge of the world to bring about acquaintanceships likely to lead to good investments—-at 24 per Cent, interest —when risks are taken between business men and women from all over the Reich. ■ ■ Slump m Titles, In Central European circles, harons are now at a discount except as husbands for film stars. A title no longer, save in film circles, covers a mijltitude of both sins and debts. Otherwise human nature is as it was. Men want homes and women want husbands. The social status of the unmarried woman is still incomplete. The wealthy woman does not know how to enjoy life alone. Ihe professional woman in Germany and Austria offers both herself and ner monevmaking capacity for the title of frau_ Woman doctors in particular feel the 1 necessitv of this. Artists, photographers, business women and social workers are a/3 eager to marry as heiresses to large estates, who profess to need male authority to govern their little community adequately. It is only the women teacher who taiows that marriage means the probable, though not inevitable, end of her career. The others find that being unmarried is an actual drawback to them. One notable point characterises these husband-hunters. They are nearly all pretty. Ugly women are'ashamed, it appears, to use the means of a matrimonial agent, who would be the first to remind them of their drawbacks. As regards, the men. owing to housing shortage, widows are more sought to-day than ever. If the widow of to-day does not possess ready money, the management of her factory, business, or farm offers a sure and safe means of existence. Young medical men eager to start a nursing home as the best paying part of the doctor's profession to-day are attracted by the owswr of a big and wellequipped house lilcely to serve his end. Eard and fast Bales. Under the Republic the Civil servant., with the high-sounding title and the pension, should all else go wrong, is at a discount unless he is a party man with the prospect of a Cabinet post some day. Even then, however, the average woman of the Continent is jealous of- politics, and fights shy of the political enthusiast in married rife. There are certain hard-and-fast rules from which there is no departure. A man should take care of his hands; no matter how bald, how corpulent, how ugly he be, his potential wife will judge htm by the state of his finger-nails. Only a big house and a big car can get them overlooked. For women there are several "don'ts." These are interesting, as they mirror a widespread international opinion! A woman should, when actively engaged in the pursuit of a certain definifcj male, be sparing as regards cosmetics, not talk too mtnh, never giggle, ana f aboye all, never argue a point aggressively. _______