MORE PEOPLE MARRYING

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1928, Page 1

MORE PEOPLE MARRYING

SOMK BRITISH STATISTIC’S. Interesting figures of the British Registrar-general's statistical review for 1927, recently issued, were published last month in the Daily AI ail. Dor instance, there were 308,370 marriages the most in any year since 1921. equalling a rate of 1d.7 persons mairied for 100 person living. Fifty-eight thousand couples were less than 21 years of age. Most of the brides were less than 23, and most of the bridegrooms less than 2-1. The most popular age for girls to marry was 23, and for men 24. Thirty-four brides were only 15 years old, and 383 were only 16, while 184 bridegrooms were less than 18. Strange to say, 1295 bridegrooms and 362 brides were 70 or more The marriage rate of 15.7 compares with 14.3 in 1926 which was the lowest recorded since 1886.

The third quarter of the year was the most busy for marriages. A preference for the quarter has been a feature of the returns since 1900. Before then the highest proportions of marriages was in the fourth qua 1 tei. Most bachelors married fcpilisters, but 8765 married widows. Most widowers who remarried chose spinsters, but 9157 married widows. Dealing with divorce, the review states the number of decrees nisi made absolute was 3190. an increase of 568 over the 1926 total. In only one yeai 1921. with 36*2*2. has the total been greater. This increase is a strikin'? illustration of the effect of the -Judical Proceedings (Regulation of Deports) Act. which restricts the reporting of matrimonial cases in newspapers This Act came into operation on December 16th 1926. Of the divorce suits begun in 1927. the greatest number were by people ho had lx*on mairied between 10 and 20 years. More than one-third of the couples seeking divorce were childless. Births registered during the year numbered 654,172. equal to a rate ot 16.6 per 1009 of the population. Thu is the lowest recorded date being 1.1 per 109 less that the abnormally low rate for 1018. the last year of the war Not only has the birth-rate declined But tlie actual number of births isalso the lowest registered since 1800. when the populatoin of Hngland and Wales was only 18.829,000. compared with an estimated 39,290,000 last year.