The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-30

new and interesting distinction has
been conferred upon the capital OF
the United States by the last cen
sus. 1t has been found that there
! is a larger proportion of unmarried
women in the District of Columbia
than in any of the states, and a
much larger proportion than in
most of the states.
More than half of the females in
the District of Columbia over 10
years of ages per cent to be ex-
act-are unmarried. The state OF
centage Of female single blessed
ness with 46.S per cent. The per-
centage Of married women rises as
you go west, until in Wyoming 70.5
per cent of all the women who have
passed Is have husbands
There has been a great deal writ
ten OF late years about the tendency
of women not to marry. Some con-
tend that they don't marry because
they can't, and others assert that
they don't marry because they pre-
for to stay single. Well, here is 4
chance for some social investigator
to study the single woman in her
favorite American haunt. Incident
ally, the women here come from all
parts of the United States, and are
OF all classes, types, and ages. It
would be a most interesting en-
terprise to study them Before out
lining its possibilities, let US see
what the statistics show about mar
rage in general.
1t shows that the proportion of
married people in the total popula-
ton has increased slightly but
steadily since 1890. This, according
to the bureau itself, is more an IL
lustration OF the unreIiabiIity of
statistics than Of anything else.
They say this apparent gain is due
to the fact that the proportion of
people over Is and under % years
OF age In the total population has
decreased about per cent. Leave
1t to the statisticians what this has
to do with the matter. The imph-
cation is that the proportion of peo-
pie who marry remains about the
same. The proportion of those who
have been divorced and have not
remarked shows a small but steady
gain. In the agricultural west, the
proportion of married people is gen
orally larger than in the industrial
east. The larger proportion of
married women in some of the west
ern states is due to the fact that
there are more men out there in
proportion to the women, but in
some OF the eastern states there is
a smaller proportion Of married
men as well as of married women.
In a word, it seems true that in
industrial centers where Jobs are
to be had, people are less likely to
marry than in agricultural re-
gions. In this connection it should
be remembered that in the east are
great numbers OF immigrants who
arrived married, some bringing
their wives and some leaving them
behind. A study of the native
stock alone would in all probable
ity show a larger percentage of I'M
married persons in the industrial
regions as compared with the agri-
cultural
Why They Refrain.
What is the reason for this fall
ing off of marriage in the indus
trial centers? Doubtless one rea-
son is found in the circumstances
of the man. 1t is far easier to
support a wife on a farm than in
a city. A farmer literally must
have a wife. and she is often one
OF the Understanding and most
useful domestic animals on the
place. The city man can get along
a good deal better without a wife. |
He can get his meals at cafes. he
can find people to darn his socks +!
and do his laundry work and clean |
up his room. Also he can find fem !
mime companionship outside of
marriage good deal more easily |
in large city than in rural com
Hence the city man tends
to pass up marriage more often
than the country dweller.
But the refusal is not all on the |
mans side. If the country man
needs a wife, the country woman