LATE AND EARLY MARRIAGES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3193, 12 April 1911, Page 3

LATE AND EARLY MARRIAGES.

WHICH ARE HAPPIER ? Some remarkable facts in connection with married life are brought out by Sir John Macdonnell in an analysis of the divorce statistics for tlie past ten years. It seems that in 85 per cent, of the cases divorce takes place after five years of married life. Here are the figures slioiving the duration of marriages:— Per cent. Less than l year 38 or .41 From 1 to 2 years— 196 or 2.11 From 2to 5 years... 1137 or 12.25 From sto 10 years.. 2865 or 30.86 From 10 to 20 years 3S6S or 41.66 20 years and upwards 1179 or 12.70 Another question Avliich Sir John Macdon.nell put to the statistics AA-as whether the marriages Avliich ended disastrously Avere early or late. He found that only 5 75 per cent, of tlie marriages ended in divorce when the husbands were under tAventy-one at the time of the Avedding ; 27 per cent, of the divorces Avere in cases Avhere the Avife Avas married before she Avas twenty-one. There may be some connection betAveen this fact and the fact that the more children there are the feAver the divorces. Here is the nus Aver to the question —lioav far do large or small families affect the number of divorce cases ? Per cent. No children 3673 or 39.56 One child 2316 or 24.95 Two children 1528 or 16.47 Three to six children 1599 or 17.22 Above six children... 160 or 1.72 Turning from the certain failures to the possible success, the statistics bring out clearly tlie modern tendency to postpone marriages. The marriage rate for bachelors slioavs a general increase at ages above twenty-live, beloAv which age there- is a general decrease. In the case of women, whether single or Avidowed, the rate has declined in all age groups, except twenty-live to'thirty-five. The tendency in London to postpone marriage is even more marked than in the country and provincial districts. The mean age of all the bachelors Avho married Avas , 27.98 years in London, com oared with- 27. J 8 in the rest of England and Wales, while the mean age of their aawcs avos 26.02 and 25.53 years respective! a-. -London, at any rate, seems to be taking some part of the advice of Thales to heart. ~ The philosopher. being asked Avlien. a man should marry, said: “Young men,- not yet; old men, not at- all.” . ,