University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-04-25

icrease of divorce is not so much a
protest against domestic tyranny as
showing a belief in a varied mOnog-
amy" He says divorce by mutual
consent is common, that the contract
theory of marriage is growing in the
West, and that the ideals of marriage
and the family are changing. He ad-
vocates that courts of domestic rela-
tions be established all over the
United States.
From figures which he has col
lected, Doctor Ellwood estimates in
this paper that illegal desertions and
separations among the very poor in
the United States are about four
times the number of divorces in the
same class of people. He would add
20 per cent to the number of di-
vorces for this cause.
Effect on the Children.
Doctor Ellwood finds on investiga-
tion that reform schools for depend
ent children are largely filled with
children from broken homes. In
thirty-four reform schools, 29.6 per
cent of the children came from
homes of divorce and desertiOn.
Statistics from four Juvenile courts
show that 23.4 per cent of the cases
came from families where the father
and mother were separated. Thirty
two institutions for destitute children
showed PAT per cent were from d.
vorced families.
THE crux of the problem of the
modern family" he says. Lies in the
divorce question, since divorce is the
expression of an unstable family
life"
Among the agencies at work to de-
crease divorce. the court proctor at
Kansas City is cited in the report.
This official investigates uncontested
cases out of court and makes efforts
at reconciliation. The year before
this system was established, 1924
divorces were granted in the county,
the next year only 8S1. There were
probably fifty cases of reconciliation.
The courts of domestic relations
which have been established in New
York. Chicago and a few other cities
are described in this report. These
are divisions of the regular municipal
courts. Their aim is to keep husband
and wife together, thus giving the
children the home influence; to COM
pei deserters to support their families
and to watch over deserving and un-
fortunate women and children.
The court established in Chicago
estimates that $4,000 went last year
to the support of women and children
that otherwise would have been spent
elsewhere while the families were OBJ
jects of charity. 1t recommends that
"a delinquent husband-finding bureau
be established in connection with the
court" One of this courts most i'm
portant functions is advice and arbi-
tration where separation Isl about to
take place. 1t reports $50 interviews
with husbands and wives last year,
as a result of which few ever re-
turned to court for action.
A California Investigation.
Clergymen of Southern California
have formed a Commission on Mar
riage and Divorce which Investigated
the counties containing the cities of
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oak
land. More than $500 petitions for
divorce had been filed in these coun-
ties in one year. The commission re-
ports that in the majority of these
cases. fraud and perjury were freely
committed to obtain a decree. The
purpose Of the commission is to un-
cover the fraud and punish the per-
jurer, to provide for the punishment
of adultery according to the law and
to prevent fraudulent marriage.
The league report notes a tendency
of the different states toward the
adoption of a proposed act making
marriages in violation of the laws of
any state with the purpose of evading
the law of ones own state, null and
void. Some states are now recurring
that marriage licenses be obtained
at least twenty-four hours before the
ceremony, that the license be issued
in the place Of residence of one or
both parties or the place where the
ceremony is to be performed and that
divorced persons who remarry shall
file statements under oath to all facts
concerning their divorces.