Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1919-03-27
MARRIAGE
AND Divorce

About one marriage IN ever,
| nine is terminated by divorce
| The number Of mar iages IL pro
portion 10 the population has in
creased since 1852. but the di
vorce rate has increased much
more rapidly. The returns 70.
1916 show 1850 marriages ant
112 divorces per 100000 popula
ton. These are some of thu
more striking features Of a re.
port on marriage and divorce
covering the calendar year 1916
which is soon to be issued by Di
rector Sam. L. Rogers, of the Blu
reau of the Census, Department
of Commerce. This report was
compiled under the supervision
of Mr.. William G.. Hunt, Chief
Statistician for population.
Divorce
According to the returns
which covered 1856 counties out
of a total of 2,98O-no date be.
ing available for the 95 missing
counties-the number Of divor.
ices granted in 1916 was 1906
or 112 per 100000 of population
as against "a in 1906, 70 in 1900
and SO in 1890.
Excluding South Carolina, in
which State all laws permitting
divorce were repealed in 1878,
the lowest three divorce rates
in 1916 are shown for the Dis
trict of Columbia. North Carroll
ma, and New York-13, 81, and
80 per 100000 population, re-
spectively; while the highest
three rates are those for Neva-
da, Montana, and Oregon-607,
1923, and 255, respectively. The
divorce rates were higher in 1916
than in 1906 for all the states
except eight-Maine, West Vir-
ginia, South Carolina lin which
there were no divorces in either
year,, Alabama, Mississippi,
North Dakota, South Dakota,
and Colorado-and the District
of Columbia. In 31.1 per cent
of the cases the divorce was
granted to the husband and in
$50 per cent to the wife. The
latter percentage compares with
67.5 for 1906 and 66.4 for 1896.
Causes of Divorce.
The principal causes for di-
vorce and the percentages con-
tributed by them to the total
were: Desertion, 36.8 per cent ;
cruelty, 1913 per cent; infidelity
lis per cent; neglect to provide
At per cent; drunkenness, "a
per cent; combinations of pre-
ceding causes, SO per cent; all
others, CT per cent. Desertion
was reported as the cause Of SO
per cent of the divorces granted
to the husband and 3O.8 per cent
of those granted to the wife.
Children
In only BIT per cent of the di-
vorce cases we're children report
ed; in 52.1 per cent no children
were reported; and in 1912 per
cent the records contained no da-
ia as to children. Children were
reported in 27.8 per cent of the
cases in which divorces were
granted to husbands; no children
in 58.7 per cent of the cases and
in the remaining 1876 per cent
the records contained no data
as to children. The correspond
ing percentages based upon di-
vorces granted to wives were
42.2 per cent, 1872 per cent, and
|8.6 per cent, respectively.
Marriages
The report shows, for 2,874
out of $3.50 counties-no infor-
nation being available in the
case of the 1O6 missing counties
i. O4O.778 marriages as having
been solemnized during the year
1916. This number represents
rate of 1O5 per 10000 popula-
ton, compared with 1O2 for 1906
! 90 for 1900, and 81 for 1890. The
marriage rate, therefore, is IN
creasing, although not so rapid,
" as the divorce rate.
The marriage rate-1O5 pei
10000 population, or 1850 pei
1OO.OOO-was a little more thar
9 times as great as the divorce
rate, 112 per 100000; and it may
be said, therefore, that if tn
1916 rate were to continue un
changed about 1 marriage IN
would be terminated by divorce
The marriage rates for tn
various states show considerable
differences, ranging from 65 pc
10000 in Oregon to 176 in Mon
tana. The highest three rate
-176, $50 and 149-appear to
Montana MARYLAND, and Florida