The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-09-30
Suggests Cure for
Growth of
Divorce
BY EUGENE MEACHAM
Kline IwiutN Divorce Proctor


NOTWITHSTANDING ua
N blH,k record for divorces
given Seattle by department %
commerce statistics recently iHe
divorce situation iu Eeuiir o.
MOI nearly $50 daTl, HH ilr Figures
themselves might indicate.
Wr read ~ 1850 broken homes
about $500 annually Boz Seat
90 but wc do not hear ~ tie
many thousand homes whore
tranquility rriEns ani TIC black
shadow ~ divorce hHs not rsst
be- blight
Statistic show ihHt there are
no moro divorce. Boa proportion
10 population. now than There
we're 10 yeau Bro in mi. com
munity in spite Of the fact that
Seattle h geographically " stu.
aied ~ 90 easily become n d.
Nurrr center.
Matrimonial wrecks of EuE
land. Canada. Japan. Russia and
our own Eastern states drIft here
ana contribute largely 70 our d.
yorge total
! would say that half ~ tho
plaintiffs 10 divorce Huiir begun
IN King county have been rrsl
dents ~ this state lsta Than
three years and ~ those many
come hero Tor tho express pur
pose u obtaining divorce 20.
that The proportion Of real ssaif
Ito citiDans-peopls Who were
married and have iheir homes
here il relatively small
why DO people come here for
dIyurchsG For tho same rca-
ron that ths criminal fees the
scene of his crime. 20 escape
publicity and exposure. To have
their divorce case heard where
the real fhcis cannot b. nscer-
tanned. and moro often because
the grounds for divorce alleged
here would not bs sufficient IN
their own home city.
This state has nine causes spec
flied by statute Tor divorce.
England. Canada. New York and
many Of tho older states IN tho
United states have but one.
while in North Carolina no a..
vorrcs may be- had,
Seattle r. a comparatively
young city nttuctiyely ndycr.
tissd turnout the world and pco-
pie who arc unhappily married
elsewhere find the solution OF
their problem IN simply leaving
for the fnrthest west city 81 im.
portanee. Seattle. where after "a
years residence they know they
may secure their freedom
our divorce law does not differ
widely from that Of most Of the
states west OF the Allcghcnics
with ono exception:
In 1921 the legislature added
20 our divorce code provision
which In general provides that
n divorce may b. had after the
parties have been Separated for
n period Of five years or more.
and without any other reason be.
Ing stated. Many applicants
seirs this opportunity TO escape
making public tho real reason
for their divorce.
Our divorce law II good onc.
and contributes 20 open upright
living. rather than tho contrary.
People who cannot legally cast
Off n calling matrimonial yoke
viii secretly seck freedom OF &C.
ton. Criminal complaints based
upon a violation OF the marriage
vow arc not nearly 10 numerous
hero as In Jurisdictions where
divorce laws nro moro stringent.
The fault in King county is
rather with the application OF
the law than with tho law itself.
There is no uniformity OF pur
pose, no concert OF action tn our
superior court. We have nine
judges. among whom divorce
cases arc hpportioned.
The views OF some judges dif
fer widely from those OF others
Different phases OF the same 81
yorce case arc often heard by
three or four different Judges
Husbands cited into court for
failure 10 pay alimony may
make tho same excuse 10 each