The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-11-17
DIVORCES TRIPLE !
IN KANSAS CITY
IN WARS WAKE
BY sHEILA SINGLETON

-A0 Vii VA nsin,
divorce rate-which Kansas ~
Judge predicts will continue >, .
aftermath Of the war-has trir,,.
the number Of divorces in Kane,
City. boosting the output to f..
ure approaching Reno's month.
production.
During the war, divorces ,,,.
approached the 500 a month noar'
compared to an average Of -,
monthly in Reno. Missouri h., wv
hair-trigger divorce law which u
lows the couple to call it ouits ~
80 days-less time than it take, ~
Reno-but Circuit Judge Emorv "
Wright says the soaring diyorca
rate is not the result Of the stats.
easy procedure.
Judge Wright, presiding in II.
jackson County Circuit court law.
the increase to what he calls moral
laxity, which he says has be-,
brought about by the general tenn.
pc Of war times. The causes h.
enumerates:
The breaking Of normal hab,
patterns;
General uncertainty Of condj,
tons;
More money in the pocket Of III,
average person.
The same laxity was felt durin,
and after the Civil War and World
War he says, and a high rat.
Of divorce can be expected to con.
tinue until the pace Of living slow,
down. When human relations get
back to normal, the divorce rate
probably will fall, the Judge be.
lieves.
Court officials estimated that
nearly S per cent of the divorce
cases heard in the nine-judge court
are cases involving girls under q.
Judge Wright also cites numer.
Gus instances of wives who, dis.
satisfied with their marital course
before the war, proceeded to di.
vorce their husbands when more
prosperous times showed them
that they didn't have to be Deepen.
dent upon their husbands.
Circuit Judge Ray G. Cowan,
who handles all divorce cases in.
volving children, says youngsters
are involved in almost half Of the
marriages which 60 on the matrL
monial coks in Jackson county,
Cowan, who also is head Of the
County Juvenile Court, says he has
found that rs per cent Of the de.
linquent children who appear be.
fore him in Juvenile Court com,
from families where parents are
separated or divorced.
In spite Of Missouri's easy d.
vorce procedure, the bulk Of Kan
sas City divorces - unlike Reno's
go to home-staters.
Missouri law makes it possible
for a couple from any state to be
divorced 80 days following filing Of
a petition. They don't have to es.
tablish residence.
A 30-year-old statute allows dis
appointment spouse to file dl.
appointed spouse to file divorce
action Immediately if 1.-The otfense
or injury complained Of was com.
mitted within this state" Court
rules require the 30-day wait be-
fore hearing the petition.
Under this statute, says Judge
Wright, it is possible for an Out
of state couple bent on divorce 10
come into Missouri, stage quar-.
rel and report it to the judge that
day in a divorce petition which can
be heard 30 days later.
In extreme cases, where military
personnel are involved, the petition
may be heard the same day it is
filed, providing notice Of appear
ance is filed by the other party 70
the marriage. II granted, the d.
vorce is then taken under ADVISE
ment" and made final at the end
OF the 30-day period.
Hearing time is uncontested Or
default suits which don't involve
children is often as short as i've
minutes, court clerks say - long
enough for the injured party 10
slate the alleged offense and nave
two character witnesses TESTIFY III
his or her behalf.
A Missouri decree is final Whea
granted.