Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-22
Marriage And Divorce
Statistics Are Given

Washington: March 21.-In con-
nection with the report Of the census
bureau that out Of every nine
marriages terminates in a divorce, the
following figures have been given out:
Divorce.
According to the returns, which
covered 1855 counties out of a total
of 2,s80-no data being available for
80 missing counties-the number
Of divorces granted was 1905, or
1l2 per 100000 Of population, as
against "a in 1906. 70 in 1900. and So
Excluding South Carolina, in which
state all laws permitting divorce were
repealed in 1873. the lowest three d.
vorce rates In 1916 are shown for the
District OF Columbia. North Carolina,
and New York-13; 81 and 80 per
100,0 900 population, respectively; while
the highest three rates are. those for
Nevada, Montana and Oregon-6O7,-
323. and 255, respectively. The di-
vorce rates were higher in 1916 than
in 1906 for all the states except eight
Maine, West Virginia. South Caro-
una I'm which there were no divorces
in either year,, Alabama. Mississippi,
North Dakota. South Dakota, and
Colorado-and the District Of Colum-
bia. In 31.1 per e of the cases
the divorce was granted to the. hus-
band and In 63.9 per cent to the wife.
The latter percentage compares with
SIS for 1906 and 66.4 for 1896.
Causes of Divorce.
and the percentages. contributed by
them to the total were: Desertion,
S6:S per cent; cruelty 1913 per cent;
1nfidelity, 11.5 per cent; neglect to
provide. ~ per cent: drunkenness,
3.4 per cent; combinations of preced-
Ing causes 8.6 per cent: all other
causes, 81 per cent. Desertion was
OF the divorces granted to the hus-
band and sos per cent Of those grant,,
cd to the wife.
Children. :
In only 37.7 per cent of the divorce
cases were children reported; in 52.1
per cent nc children were reported,
and In 1912 per cent the records con-
tanned no data al to children. Chill.
dren were reported in 27.S per cent
granted, to husbands: no children in
b8.7 per cent of the cases: and in the
remaining 1875 per cent the records
contained no data as to children. The
corresponding percentages based upon
divorces granted to wives were 1922
per cent, 49.2 per cent. and SO per
cent respectively.
marriages..
The report shows for 2,S74 out of o.
$50 counties-no information being
available in the case Of the LOG miss
ing Counties, 040. IT'S marriages as
having been solemnized during the
year 1916. This number represents
q rate of los per 10000 population,
compared with 102 for 1906. % for
1900, and 81 for 1890. The marriage
rate. therefore. is increasing, although
not SO rapidly as the divorce rate.
The marriage .rate-105 per 49,
600 population. or 1850 per 100, 900
was a little more than 9 times as great
as the divorce rate. .112 per 100000:
and 1t nay be said. therefore, that IL
the 1916 rate were to continue nm
changed about 1 marriage in 9 would
be terminated by divorce.
The marriage rates for the various,
states show considerable differences,
ranging from IS per 10000 In Oregon
to 17s in Montana. The highest three
rates-176. $50 and 149-appear for
Montana, Maryland and Florida, re-
spectively:- and the lowest three-6b,
66 and 73-are those for Oregon,
North Dakota and Wisconsin, respec-
lively.