The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-03-28
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
WHAT GOV CENSUS BUREAU
SAYS ON THE SUBJECT
One In Every Nine Tricks Turned
BY Cupid Upset In the
Courts
Especial to Free Press.I

lSptcEti III fTce lTSSS.l
Washington, ID. G.. March 20
About one marriage in every nine
is terminated by divorce. The num-
Der of marriages in proportion to the
population has increased since 1890,
hut the divorce rate has increased
much more rapid. The returns
for 1916 show 1880 marriages and
112 divorces per 100000 population.
These are some of Mhe more strik-
Z ing features of report on marriage
and divorce, covering the calendar
year 1916, which is soon to be issued
by Director Sam l.. Rogers, of the
bureau of the census. department of
commerce. This report was compiled
under the supervision of Mr. Will
liam C.. Hunt, chief statistician for
population.
The Divorce Record.
According to the returns, which
covered 2SS5 counties sout of to-
tai of 2,9S0-no data being available
for the ninety-five missing counties
the number of divorces granted in
1916 was 112,036, or 112 per 100000.
of population as against eighty -four
in 1916. seventv-th three in 1900, and
fifty three in 1890.
Excluding South Carolina, in which
state all laws permitting divorce We're
repealed in 1878. the lowest three di
vorce rates in 1915 are shown for the
District of Columbia, North Carolina,
and New Yotk--thirteen. thirty
one. and thirty-two per 100000 mop
ulation respectively: while the high
est three rates are those for Nevada.
Mopfana on1 oo9 ani
255. respectively The divorce rates
were higher in 1916 than in 1906 for
all the states except eight-Maine.
West Virginia, South Carolina Tin
which there We're no divorces in eth
er year, Alabama. Mississippi. North
Dakota. South Dakota, and Colorado
and the District of Columbia. In
81 per cent of the cases the di-
VERGE was granted to the husband and
in GS.g per cent TO the wife. The
latter percentage COMPARES with 67.5
for 1906 and 664 for 1896.
Causes for Divorce.
: The principal causes for divorce
and the percentages contributed by
them to The total were Desertion.
Sc. & ror cents cruelty. 2S.a per cent !;
infidelity. ll.5 per cent: NEGLECT to
provide. AZ per cent drunkenness,
"a per cent: combinations of preced
ing causes. Sc per cent; all other
causes. 67 per cent Desertion was
reported az the cause oil fifty per
Enfhe divorces granted to the
husband and sos per cent OF those
granted to the wife.
In only 377 per cent of the divorce
cases were children reported; in
521 per cent no children were report
ed: and in 1912 per cent the records
contained no data as 10 children
Children We're reported in 27.S peI
cent of the cases in which divorces
were granted TO husbands; no chill.
dren in, EST per cent of the cases:
and in the REMAINING 1876 per cent
the records contained no data as tC
children. The corresponding per
centage based upon divorces grantcf
to wives were 42.2 per cent. 49,:
per cent. and Sc per cent respec-
lively.
About the MARRIAGES.
The report shows, for 2S74 out o
$3.50 counties-no information bein!
available in the case Of the 106 miss
ing counties-1040.17S marriages a
having been solemnized during tn
year 1916 This number represent
rate of los per 10000 population
compared with 102 for 1906, 90 70
1900, and 81 for 1890. The mari'iag
rate. therefore, is increasing. although
rot so rapidly as the divorce rate.
The marriage r"te-105 pcr 1890
population. or 1850 per 00000-wa
little more than nine times as grea
as the divorce rate. 112 per 100, 900
and il may be said. therefore. tia
if the 1916 rate were to continu
unchanged about one marriage j
nine would be terminated nv divorce
The marriage rates for the variou
states show >considerahle difference
RANGING from CO per 10000 in Ore
gon to 176 in Montana The high
est three rates-176, $50. and 149-
anpear Cor Montana, Maryland, an
Florida resnectivelv: and the loves
three-65 Gland 73-are those fl
Oregon. North Dakota, and Wiscon
sin reSDpctiyply