Evening star., 1926-11-22
NEW FAMILY CODE
ENACTED IN RUSSIA
Thousands of Women Pro-
tected by LegaIizing Com
mon Law Marriages.
BY JUNIUS b. WOOD.


(Copyright. 1920
MOSCOW, November 20.-"Many
hundreds of thousands of women who
have been unprotected in Russia for
years now have a legal standing in the
eyes of the law" declared Dmitri
kurskE peoples commissar of justice
of Soviet Russia. when the central eX-
ecutive committee approved a new
family code after two days Of heated
discussion late Tuesday
Since 1t was proposed. more than a
year ago, the code has been discussed
at thousands Of village meetings,
arousing moro widespread interest
than any other piece Of bolshevik leg
islation. It's most radical feature no
longer requires registration at the
government office in order to legalize
marriage, thus legalizing not only
church weddings, but unregistered or
common law marriages.
Declared Step Forward.
Advocates Of the new code contend
ed it was a step forward in the pro-
lection Of women, who, according to
Kursky, number hundreds of thou
sands living in wedlock without legal
formalities, and who are frequently
abandoned by their consorts and pre-
vented from sharing in the husbands
property at death.
However, under the new law, unreg-
istered wives do not share their hus-
bands political rights, which. with the
simpliflcation Of the regulation for
malities and the difficulties of proving
unregistered marriages, is expected to
increase formal marriage instead of
decreasing them.
"Our nine years Of Soviet existence
have been marked by much disorder
in domestic life," declared Nikolai Kry-
lenko, Russia's fiery chief prosecutor.
by fixing marital responsibility, hun
dreds Of thousands of couples hitherto
living together outside Of wedlock will
register. We must agitate and de-
velop public opinion on the subject"
Opponents OF the measure are more
virulent than it's advocates who. aside
from the farmers, are chiefly women.
PoIygamy Charged.
"Legalizing unregistered marriage
creates a situation where many men
will have three or four wives, de-
clared Vladimir SCltz, a member Of the
presidium of the comrlissariat Of JUS
tice. 1--WE are fighting against Mo.
hammedan practices, trying to prove
that polygamy is not necessary. but
introducing it here in our own state.
If, during a registered marriage, 1t Is
possible for a man or woman also to
have legal unregistered wife or hus-
band, we are legalizing polygamy and
polyandry."
.'That is nonsense" shouted Kry-
lenko.
"It is necessary to teach our young
communist boys and girls. mainly the
latter, that our freedom and equality
of women requires that they approach
this question with great care" M.
SoltZ continued. I'VE should not ridi-
cule her because she looks at these
things the same as women in the old
days, for a judge cannot help her If
she has baby when she is 16, or has
two or three husbands when she is IS.
Can a woman be independent when
she must chase after alimOny?"
The new code specifies that "regiS-
tration is only for the purpose of pre-
serving the personal economic rights
of husbands, wives and children" 1t
re-enacts most of the clauses of the
old law, including prohibition OF mar
riages between relatives and between
insane persons, as well as marriages
of girls under 16 and boys under IS.
Important New Provisions.
For persons already married the
most important new provisions are:
l. In order to establish an unreg-
istered marriage it is necessary to
prove three out Of the six following
conditions: (a) Living together, (b)
common household, (c) witnesses, ID
letters or documents. (e) mutual sup
port, (f) children.
2. Either the husband or wife Is
eligible to alimony.
8. Unregistered couples registering
can pre-date the marriage.
4. Property owned before marriage
remains individual. That acquired
mutually will be divided by the court
instead Of being divided equally as
heretofore.
5. Unregistered married persons
can secure divorce at the registry Of
flee, but If separated Indefinitely the