HOW NEW ZEALANDERS MARRY

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue XX, 15 November 1902, Page 1253

HOW NEW ZEALANDERS MARRY

Marriage being one of the most important subjects from a social and economic standpoint, a pictorial presentation of certain facts and figures connecteel therewith may be more interesting to the general reader than the Registrar-General's arid columns. The diagrams from Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 show the proportion per 100 marriages of men during different ageperiods. It can be seen that the •■reatest number of men (37 per 100) are mated when between the ages of 25 and 30 years; and the fewest (6 pet cent.) between 40 and 50 years. Procrastinating and captious bachelors are warned by these diagrams that they may too long defer the day of choice; the great drop in size from the bridegroom of the 30-40 period to the 40-50 shows how their chances diminish. In depicting the female side of this interesting study, the “Graphic" statist is conscious of some delicacy- in treating his subject, but encouraged by the hope that a plain, truthful and picturesque setting forth of facts may be enlightening to women as to men. he proceeds: Figs. 5 to 10 show the proportions pet 100 marriages of women at different age periods: From 21 to 25 years is the golden year of woman’s existence. during which nearly 40 per een'.. of women are wedded in New Zealand. Hope may still bloom bravely during the next period of 25-30 years, but a great fall is seen at the 30-40 period, whose bridal figure may be compared with the stature of the 30-40 bridegroom of Fig. 3. The warning to recalcitrant bachelors may be here understood as applying, in perhaps a modified form, to fastidious spinsters. Hut stay-, is a warning necessary or called for in this connection? Does it not rather seem irlonieal. when we remember that serious proposals have been made to tax incorrigible bachelors. The inference is as plain as if depicted on one of our

diagrams, that whatever the number of unwedded fair, of almost anv age. may be. it is not their tin willingness to marry that blame must be laid, but to the remissness of men: for who has ever pro|x»sed or heard of a proposal to tax spinsters? Figs 9 ami Hi are idea! male and

female figures in diagrams, representing the total numbers of unmarried men ami women lx*? ween the asres of 20-4.> and 15-4»» respectively in IWI. It is apparent that should every liaehelor of this number straightway become a benedick there would be left a considerable body of over fourteen thousand unwed ami unlikely-to-be-wed women. This disparity exists principally in the Otago and

( anterbuiy provinces of the South Island. the North Islam] having’ profited to such an extent of late years by a steady influx of young men settlers from those districts as to reverse the numerical superiority. Such a condition on the whole i~ however, likely to be but a temporary phase of statistics. Nature Benigna regulating all life in a general wa .. so that, do what we will, or leave nndon • what we may. the broad ami >afe equilibrium of things is not »lit lirbed. I'ew- will not be surprised io comparing the bridal pair of Tig. 11. which represents the whole iiumlttM* of marriages during I’.ioi. with the number of possible unions a< shown by the dimensions of the bachelor and maid of Eigs 9 and io. |t is also remarkable that the marriage rate has risen constantly from per HNNI To |w> f<» 7 9,. j f| p MM