The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19
Proctor Says Some Persons
Wed 10 or IL Times Be-
fore Settling Down.
EASY TO BREAK TIES
Residence Ruling Evaded
by Getting a Home, Leav-
ing and Returning.
RENO'S CASES INCREASING
Nevada's 1920 Record Three
Divorces Daily to More Than
Seven for Seattle.

DlNOFCcS Ddlly w MoIC Ihuh
Seven for Seattle.
Special Despatch to TIE New YORK HEsuD.
SEATTLE, Wash, Dec. 1S.-Since any
pretensions which any contestant may
make in any contest must be backed UP
by either performance or figures there
Is no question as to what American city
is the nations divorce capital This
CITY is. In Reno, New. 991 divorces, or
three day, were granted during the
first eleven months of this year. In this
city 2430, or 7.2 day. or moro than
twice as many as Reno can show, were
granted within the same period.
Take the word of Pierce Lonergan,
first divorce proctor for Kings county
In which Seattle Is situated, for the state
of affairs: I'VE have nothing but sys-
tenn Of trial marriage in this State. Many
persons marry five or six times and some
others ten or twelve times before they
settle down to the humdrum of life"
There are two factors which have
made Seattle the divorce Mecca Of
America. One is the residence clause
and the other the blanket proviso OF the
State divorce code Though by the resi-
dence clause an applicant for divorce
is required to live in Washington State
year before n decree Is available to
him or her, it has come to hight that
an amazing number OF persons come here
from other States, stay only long enough
to establish homes and then depart until
a year has elapsed, when they return and
sue for their DEGREES.
Under the blanket proviso a Judge may
accept proof of any cause which to him
seems sound reason for a divorce and
grant decree upon it. So 'incompata-
bility of temperament has been resur-
rected from the discard of divorce
phraseology and is working in Seattle
overtime.
RcmarrtaGe Law ScOrned.
The State law provides also that d.
vorced persons may not remarry in this
jurisdiction within six months. but no.
body cares for this. The happily di-
vorced usually go straight from the
court to British Columbia and are Joined
to new partners there. Then they re-
turn to this State or some other and
their new marriage stands against all
the world.
The most popular form of divorce ac-
ton Is that wherein the defendant files
no denial of the charges made. The
court then has nothing to do but sign
the decree.
Official statistics show that there have
been 1.439 more divorces in Seattle this
year than In Reno. The stampede here
or the dissatisfied has been under way,
with its momentum always increasing.
for about two years. But. while Seattle
is showing the pace to Reno, that city
still has its claim on many affections
and is doing q tidy divorce business as
of yore
"A marked increase" says an en-
thusiastic writer there. appears in the
number of applications for divorce, as
shown by the records of the County
Clerks office. where all legal actions
have their origin.
up to date this year 1868 actions Of
all kinds have been filed. the overwhelm-
ing majority Of them suits for divorce.
Thus In November OF this year 145 cas-
were filed, of which 122 were actions for
divorce. In December of last year 1872
cases OF all kinds were filed, and out of
them 80 We're for divorce. During the
present December. which of course is
scarcely more than half over 81 divorce
suits have been filed.
This, it must be conceded. IL n
healthful growth. The divorce Industry
In Nevada Is an infant one COM
paratively. having its inciplency
only in 1906, when the present
divorce law was passed. Thereafter Il
took the country nearly year to gain
general knowledge of the advantages
OF the State, SO that II is fair to take
the year 1907 for purposes of first meas
urement There were 212 cases OF all
descriptions filed in Reno that year. Of
which 1S7 were actions for divorce. In
1910, the banner year OF early condi-
tions, 735 cases were filed.
Residence Term Increased
THE original divorce law required
that an applicant be a. resident OF
Nevada for at least six months. It was
changed, and year was made requisite
In 1913. That year business fell away
rapidly and continued bad through 1914
and the first five months OF 1915. Then
the Legislature restored the six months
provision and business picked up smart
~ Within the last seven months Of
1915 there were 65s divorce cases filed.
ana since then there has been a steady
growth, and the peak is considered TO
have been attained about now"
The mill in Seattle may not grind
so Driskly in years which are 70 come
soon, Tor public opinion In making it,
held heard in various bills. actual or
proposed. which are finding consider
alton by the Legislature.
A Dill last year provided for two kinds
OF DEGREES, one absolute and one lini-
ted. the absolute divorce to be entered
on interlocutory decree only. the final
decree to DO held In abeyance for a
year. The limited divorce. ms proposed
duly divorced the litigants but prevented
either from remarrying within the life
OF the other. The bill provided also that
the State should be a party to all divorce
actions and not merely to undefended
ones. as now The bill was defeated
largely by reason of this last provision.
which would. have required the prosecu-
ting attorney of this county 10 under
take mass Of work never contemplated
as part OF his official duty.
The next Legislature of Nevada In all
probability will be confronted also with
a divorce bill in tho form OF an initiative
petition asking for tho passage OF a law
establishing an introductory decree sys-
tenn. This cannot became effective be-
fore the middle of December, 1922, rs
Il will have 10 go to referendum next
November and its operation thereafter
must wait more than n year. SO even
II approved IL will not have any in1me-
diate effect on the existing situation.