PUBLIC APATHETIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26226, 9 August 1946, Page 5

PUBLIC APATHETIC

AUSTRALIAN DIVORCES ALARMING INCREASE SHOWN AN AFTERMATH OF WAR (From C. R. Mentiplay, N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) (Rec. 8 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 8. Though many share in the alarm and distress at the soaring divorce figures expressed by Mr C. F. Martin, the Attorney-general for New South Wales, few seem to have been aroused to the extent of doing something about combating the increase. Expressing his determination to arouse the conscience of the State in its approach to matrimonial conciliation, Mr Martin said that the only piece of work in that field done in New South Wales which merited consideration was that carried out by the Family Welfare Bureau established in Sydney as an activity of the Australian Comforts Fund.

Petitions by Ex-servicemen

The connection of this with the problems of ex-servicemen is significant. A leading Sydney lawyer pointed out to me to-day that the filing of petitions during the war years had a direct relationship to the movements of Australian divisions. Petitions by husbands seeking divorce on the grounds of adultery and desertion soon outnumbered those by wives, and year aftei year matters have stayed in this unbalanced state.

This lawyer predicts that this year and next will be boom years for divorces because of the return of prisoners of war of the Bth Australian Division. Supporting this contention, he states that in 1943 by which time divisions which had been serving in the Middle East had all passed througn Australia on the way to New Guinea, divorces sky-rocketed. Husbands took the lead in all States, the total figures of petitions filed being 3482 by husbands and 2955 by wives. Last year, in New South Wales alone, 3180 husbands and 2263 wives petitioned on various grounds, and 641 husbands and only 292 wives were granted divorces on the grounds of adultery. Throughout the war officers were amazed at the number of men in their units who came to them for advice on matrimonial questions or requests for army legal aid. Increase Over Long Period

That is the army angle only. An examination of the State figures of petitions lodged indicates that, thougn most family trouble occurred in the war years, there has been a steady increase since the turn of the century. Immediately after World War I the figures almost trebled themselves. Now history has repeated itself, and they have trebled again.

Mr Martin demands the experimental adoption of matrimonial conciliation. In his view, It is necessary to endeavour to effect conciliation before the matters reach the courts, because experience proves that, once a legal step is taken, both parties are often eager to go through with it. He is intrigued by the system now operating in New Zealand, and intends to investigate it, personally if possible, but he regards it as yet unproved. At present he is finding that the most difficult part of the task is to convince the public of the serious nature of the position. In this he is not helped by a section of the press which regards the situation as excellent material for comic cartoons and humorous articles.