The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-04-14
DIVORCE
RATE VERY HIGH
NEVADA is ONLY STATE WHICH
OUTRANKS MONTANA IN
DEGREES ISSUED
Increase Is Al Per Cent in Past 10
Years; One Montana Marriage in
Three Is a Failure; Missoula
County Leads the State in Domes-
tic Unrest.

Montana ranks second in the mat
ter of divorce, being outranked only
by Nevada. The divorce rate in Mis-
soula county exceeds the states yer
age. Divorce has increased Al pei
cent here during the past 10 years,
Almost one-third Is many divorces
are granted as there are marriage Ii
censes issued in Missoula.
Like a rapacious dragon the div
orce court is gorging itself on broken
marriage vows and marital unhappi-
ness. Montana, with Alb divorces
per 100000 population, has next to
the largest divorce rate of any state
in the union. Nevada, which, through
it's laxity in divorce laws, attracts the
unhappily welded from all over the
United States, ranks first, with 635
divorces to every 100000 population.
Missoula county exceeds the state
rate, with 449 divorces to every 1907
900 population for the year 1920.
Almost one-tnird as many divorce
suits were filed in the district court
last year as there we're marriage Ii
censes issued. The license record
shows that from January 1, 1920, IN
til December l., 1920, 391 marriage
licenses were issued, while for the
same period 10 divorce suits and
three separate-maintenance suits
were filed in the district court.
Considering the fact that Nevada
boasts of the greatest divorce mill in
the United States, at Reno, which
has increased in population from
$500 in 1900 to 1906 in 1920, due
to the influx of divorce seek
ers, Montana may be considered to
lead the states in divorce ratio. A
six months residence law and liberal
provisions in the state statutes of Ne
vada have been responsible for the
building up of a large divorce bust
at Reno, while the statutes of
Montana are no less strict than those
If most of the states in the union.
our sister state to the west,
llso has a six months residence re-
but that state is 18th On
he list, with a ratio of 1913 divorces
o every 100000 population.
Montana Laws Are Not Lax
A cursory study of the divorce
avs of the various states shows that
he grounds for divorce in Montana
re similar to those in other states
nd that the one-year residence re-
of this state corresponds
avorably with most of the other
fofac -rL,ah roo,,r1 fro~e f.ro
ears residence, with the exceptions
f Nevada and Idaho, which require
ut six months, and New York which
merely requires actual residence.
However, the ratio of divorces to
opulation appears to refute the SEN
iment that the west is where the
onds of home are a wee bit tighter"
has a rate of 635; Montana
rate of Alb; Arizona, 1858; Oregon,
II; Washington, 239, and Califor-
ia, 230. New York, with its .Great
White Way" its wealthy club men,
nd its tiers of squalid flats, does not {
ven draw dishonorable mention. |
does Illinois with it's great j
opulation of factory workers get
thin hailing distance of the west in
lie matter of divorce. !
Why Is Divorce So Frequent?
What is the cause of the present i
reat divorce rate?
Why is it greater in Missoula coun-
than elsewhere?
What is responsible for it's in
during the last ten years in
issoula county?
What can be done to remedy the .
tuation? :
Will legislation to make marriage
divorce more difficult tend to de-
the rate?
These are the questions being ask
by Montana citizens, including
'urt officials, women, members of
-e clergy and attorneys.