TATTOOED WEDDING RINGS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19833, 23 June 1934, Page 11

TATTOOED WEDDING RINGS

TO PREVENT DECEPTION Backed by a number of welfare movements, a body of influential social workers in England is shortly to begin a strange campaign for the introduction of tatooed wedding rings for husbands and wives. The customary gold ring would, of course, be retained, but the reformers advocate additional tatooing to prevent deception of young girls by men concealing the fact that they are already married. The recent increase in this type of case has alarmed the social workers, but there is no doubt that their tattooing suggestion will raise a terrific controversy. This is what one of the women associated with the movement says:— “Already furious protests have reached us from men and women who have got to hear of it. They do not seem to realise that our sole object is the protection of young girls. “Half the distressing breach of promise actions, the advocates of the scheme argue, would be eliminated if

men were compelled by law to display indelible evidence of their married state.” Married women with tattooed rings would be unable to carry on clandestine associations with other men. “This would rule out the victimisation of innocent people who find themselves dragged into the divorce court,” said the social worker. At the same time, of course, there is a powerful body of opinion violently opposed to the suggestion. “It is a barbarous suggestion,” a Church of England minister said. “It is nothing less than the branding of men and women because they are not to be trusted. I canot imagine the Church ever sanctioning such a thing.”