New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-04
u1RnLlnE -STIILSTLCS.

The science of statistics mas been developed 70
such degree of perfection in France thai accurate
studies can be made Ia many branches OF sociology
when III tins country must be left TO speculation
or to the0rziug from imperfect material. mem
Der of the Chamber Of Deputies VI. Louis Losiand
has lust publ shed an interesting work entitled
- Marriage and Manners in France" which over
turns two widely accepted ideas-that the French
are not a marryn people as impaired with other
nations and that the proportion OF marriages TO
population is diminishing. The book shows that
the relative rank of European countries in respect
10 the number of marriages per 1000 inhabitants
Is as follows: Hungary, Russia, Germany, Austria
France. England Denmark, Holland, Switzerland
Italy. Norway. Belgium, Scotland, Sweden.
Greece Roumania Ireland. 1t thus appears that
France ls fifth on the list, and leads England
one file. Cheapnc,s of food has a great deal to do
with the number Of marriages. and accounts for the
position of Hungary at the head of the list Ia that
country the soil is very fertile. and grain and root
crops are produced IN great abundance. vicious
land system, aud the consequent poverty of the
pslsant class put Ireland at the foot of the list.
The low rank of Scotland Sweden and Greece may
he accounted tor by tho poverty of their soli but
in the ease of RoumanIa, which lies along the rich
Danube VALLEY, another reason must be sought, and
will probably be found in degraded social condi-
lions NJ. Legrand proves thar the marriage rate,
instead Of falling OFF in France, Is steadily rncreas-
np During the first half OF the century tho average
annual rate was ] TO 1877 inhabitants; now II Is
to124 In Paris, whore travellers who see only
the feyerish. unwholesome life of the bOue-
yards the cafes and the hotels. generally
,rnpose the domestic relations to be greatly neg
I.ctpJ there are more marriages than in the PROV
,pces. the rate being 1 to l01 inhabitants, while
D.. the country 1t is to 100 There Is also an in-
crease i'm the average duration OF marriages, which
has come up from twenty-three years aud two
months IN S21 to twenty four years and six months
IN SCI and to twenty-five years IN 1S7S-a result
oroduced bY the greater average longevity of the
individual which has been brought about by the
advance of civilization and of medical science.
There is. however. another side To the picture
With the steady increase in the number of mar
r,agps "a corresponding decrease has taken place in
thelr fruitfuness AT the beginning of the century
the average number of children 10 each union was
tour; now It is only three. The birth rate Is from
twenty-five to twenty-sx per 900, and is lower
than In any other country in Europe. In the war
wear of 1871 1t fell to twenty-five. The growing
tendency TO postpone marriage until the means Of
supporting q family are assured is shown by
the fact that the average age at which
Frenchmen marry is thirty-two IN Paris and thirty
in the country and Frenohwomen twenty-seven and
twenty-sx II statistics on this point were avala-
BILE in tis country II would no doubt be found that
the average age at which marriages are contracted
Is much lower tnan IN FmLce Young people are
more ready here than there 10 rush blindly into
wcdock, trusting 70 good luck for the material
means 10 carry 1t through successfully This is only
half explanation. however. Young men IN the