Evening star., 1932-04-11
ROMANCE SHOWS
EFFECT OF SLUMP
Marriages, Births and Di-
vorCes Decline, Federal
Reports Disclose.

| Romance is feeling severely the eff
fects of the economic depression, Com
merce Department reports disclose.
Not only have the number of mar
riages fallen of steadily since the
stock market crash in the Fall of 1929,
but birth statistics likewise show a
marked decline from boom times, &C
cording to the Bureau of Vital Sta
| tiStiCS
| But while pinched pocketbooks pre-
vent thousands of smitten couples from
marrying they also keep many fam
lilies from airing their troubles in the
divorce courts, the bureaus records
| reveal.
Practically every State in the Union
except Nevada experienced decrease
in divorces last year as compared with
1880, and 1929, the last of the big
money years. In that State, with its
new six-week residence law, the divorce
mills at Reno and elsewhere ground to
pieces $3.50 marriages in 1881, an in
crease of slightly more than 100 per
cent over 1880, and nearly ITO per
cent over 1929.
More Nevada Marriages.
Marriages, too, increased in Nevada.
Due principally to California's flve-day
declaration of intent law, and the en-
actment Of similar legislation by nearby
Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado, the
number of Nevada marriages jumped
more than Is per cent, while most
other States III the country were re-
cording decreases. Couples wed last
year in Nevada numbered 1880, only
1870 more than the number divorced.
Throughout the country. the IL
States which thus far have reported
1881 marriage and divorce statistics, a
2 per cent decline in marriages IS
recorded. But, inasmuch as the larger
industrial States-New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Massachusetts,, Connecticut, New
jersey, Illinois and Indiana-have not
vet made their returns, Commerce De-
partment officials feel this figure Is
rather low.
Especially so, they point out. since
the number of marriages in 1880 was
more than per cent below figures for
1929 In support OF this statement
they pointed to statistics for agrlcul-
tural States which show no appreciate
fluctuations in the number OF weddings
regardless of good times or bad.
Industrial States Affected.
TT is in the industrial States that
the majority of the decrease in mar
riaees-and in births, too-Wll be
shown" said one official. When the
! factory workers have no work and no
money. they can't get married, despite
the old saying, Two can live as cheaply
as one
Then, too Nevada's abnormal in
! crease of more than 25 per cent holsters
| substantially the marriage statistics OF
the II other States which thus far
At least a 10 per cent-2nd possibly
higher-decrease in marriages is antlcl-
pated. it was said
The l8 reporting States showed a
decline in divorces of .06 per cent, as
compared with practically per cent
drop last year Again Nevadas figures
altered greatly TIE percentage OF the
rest of the States. Disregardlng its
statistics on divorce for both 1881 and
| 1890 the total decrease for the other
II States is more than per cent.
No Figures on Births.
No figures on the number OF births
/ last year could be obtained at Wash
ington but DR. Timothy F. Murphy.
chief of the Vital Statistics Bureau OF
| the Commerce Department, is authority
| for the statement there has been de-
cline.
Many young couples are getting
| said DR.. Murphy. but they are not
| having any babies
Statistics on the 18 States which have