MATRIMONIAL ETHICS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LX, Issue 9296, 16 February 1909, Page 7

MATRIMONIAL ETHICS.

THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE,

During the course of a conversation with a Post reporter, the Wellington

Registrar, Mr Hodgkins, gave some jjtdinatinn of marriage business in the Office. Out of 1070 marriages year, 231 were celebrated by the Begfstrar. In 1907 the proportion of marriages in the Wellington district that belonged to the Registrar's office was 21.08 per cent, .aud last year it was 22.14 per cent. The most marriages were solemuised by Presbyeriau ministers. The Registrar's impression of tho cause of the growing popularity of the civil marriage was, iir3tly, cheapness, and secondly, expediency. All that it costs to be married by the Registrar is £2 os. At a marriage in church, the minister's fee ranges from £1 to £o, in addition to Registrar's fees, which, for persons, resident in the district the requisito time, are £1 2s Oil. Additional expenso is accouuted for in choral services, tips, cabs with white horses and wedding favours, and drivers in silk hats, besides the photographing of the party, and the provision of a wedding breakfast, ou a large or small scale. It seems that many couples

patronise the Registrar's office in egrder that they may apply their small fiftviugs to the subsequent expenses of ""Emirriage. At the office, a, marriage can be fixed up in ten minutes. As far as Mr Hodgkins could see, the intention of the parties who came to be married by him was not to avoid the

religious obligatious of matrimony, but to avoid extravagaueo. Hβ 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, honour and obey. " The Act does not specify that a ring- mast be used. The Registrar's office in Wellington appears to have come to bo regarded as a general information bureau, and the staff is kept busy all day, and the Registrar himself is often called on to perform li.tlo duties outside of office hours ami ou Sundays and holidays.