Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-09-25

States, at leasD Of a per cent de-
crease in divorces since 1929.
The divorce rate for 1881 was 149 divorces
per 1000 persons.
This may be said to have been good
result of hard times" says Miss Alice v. Hagan
Of the Census Bureau, who has handled all
of Americas marriage and divorce statistics
for the last six years. No other economic
depression in history has put much of
crimp in the mounting divorce rate, she points
out
why has this depression caused a falling
OF in divorce? I suppose it is partly because
getting divorced, like getting married, costs
money. OF course, marriages fell Of during
the last two years too-approximately IA per
cent.
Some social worker has ventured the theory
that in times of depression married people
cannot around much, buy many
clothes do many foolish things and
that this condition may have contributed to
lowering Of the divorce rate. Trouble and
anxiety shared may have brought together
again many a man and wife who were drift
ing apart because Of too much prosperity.
But I think the lack of money with which
to get divorce has been the largest deterring
factor
BECAUSE of the nature of her work. Miss
Hagan may truly be said to know more
United States
In fact, while all marriages may be made
in heaven. those of the United States must
be checked by Miss Hagan, noted, filed and
tabulated
Under her supervision flaming romances and
drab divorces resolve themselves into q neat
black and white record, entitled Marriage
and Divorce in the United States"
Miss Hagan says that al previous depreS-
c;or Eol bx cod
marriage rate, but never for so long a time.
She dispels some of the romantic glamour
usually attached to marriage by pointing out
that laws and good roads, and even train
schedules. have much to do with the practical
working out Of the trends Of . young mans
fancy, or the yagaries of a young woman's
whirn-
For example" she explains, the county in
the United States which showed one Of the
largest gains in marriages between the years
Of 1928 and 1881 was Love County, Okla.
In 1928, there were only "a marriages per 1000
persons there, but in 1881, this figure had in
creased to 2l9.7 per 1000 residents
The name Love County, had nothing to do
with rate increase, Miss Hagan explains. But
Love County is just over the Texas State line.
coupled with San Antonio by two good high
ways. A law went into effect in Texas in
1929 requiring a lapse of three days between
the application for a marriage license and
its issuance, and just about the same time a
statute passed requiring men to pass a
physical examination before license would
be granted. There immediate drop in
the number of marriages contracted in Texas,
from 10000 in 1928 to 40,507 in 1881.
California has had since 1927, what is known
as the gin marriage law" It merely en-
deavors to stop hasty marriages brought about
by drinking and consequently responsibility,
by requiring three-day notice to obtain a
license The bordering States of Arizona and
Nevada, however, have no such law, and it is
not only the movie stars who seek out these
Gretna Greens by airplane or automobile be-
cause they want to get married before they
change their minds
II there were a universal marriage and di-
vorce law throughout the country, of course,
resident couples could not evade the laws of
their own States by means of an automobile
ride. But there isn't such a law-yet al
though there is strong agitation for it.
Miss Hagan knows the cause OF practically
every divorce in the United States-at least
what was given as the cause in the law court.
But she knoUs fron1 her Sti1dv that the real