DIVORCE MADE EASY

Hokitika Guardian, 7 May 1931, Page 8

DIVORCE MADE EASY

DOMICILE CLAUSE. ATTRACTIONS OF RENO. A cable calls attention to another divorce record established in Reno, ol tlie State of Nevada, U.S.A., a city famous for dissolved marriages. Now (hat th«> time of domicile has been reduced to six weeks, the “ceremony” offers even less inconvenience than before, and in order to cope with the rush of “business” two judges "ill have to put through cases at the rat; of one every ten minutes. It is significant that the cable says “will grant divorces.” There is no suggestion that any applications will lie refused. LAW IN NEW ZEALAND. It is the brevity of the period of domicile that attracts people to Reno. Here in New Zealand, a man or woman lias to be domiciled in a place for two years before bo or ghe ca:n petition for a divorce. That c rt sts a big difficulty in the way of people who wish to get divorced in a hurry, quite apart from the fact that in this country the grounds must be good and proved up to the hilt. There nave been many eases where the domicile clause has held up proceedings. A lew years ago a woman whose husband was a member of a touring theatrical company applied for divorce on the grounds of desertion, but her application could not hold, as a married woman’s domicile is that of her husband, and at the time tin* husband in question was touring in Canada. In

1928 legislation was introduced to overcome that unfair point, and now, a woman, if deserted, is considered to be domiciled in the place w'iere she was deserted, after two years’ r'siicnee there. A man visiting New Zealand on a health trip from England, ‘■ven though twelve months in this country, is still domiciled in England The domicile clauses are jealously guarded.

ATTRACTS THOUSANDS Not so, in Reno. The .city lives on Divorce. Other States attract tourists and, business men for various reasons Some have ,scenic beauty, some have sport, some have opportunities to make money. The State- prospers in proportion to the business it attracts, and tourists mean business. Reno attracts people, in tens <>f thousands, on account of the fnclitv ol the divorce ( proceedings.- And Reno prospers exceedingly. As well as having the convenient domicile clause, bv which: one can live in the city for a short six weeks and be fully qualified to petition, there is a elinrming libernlitv in the interpre(■•.ill, on of irf'io .grounds lof divorce v fiieli oils the wheels of court proceedings. Desertion and adultery; il unopposed, need proof that is a formality on]v. The main source of marital dissolution is. however,- cruelty.

“CRUELTY” CASES. U a man is divorced in,. New Zealand for being cruel to his wife, t''<"> if is fairly certain tint be .was causing the lady either mental or physical pain. Ip Reno, mental cruelty means almost anything. .It may,, seem incredible that a man wfls divorced for cruelty, because he forgot-to kiss his wife good morning twice, in succession; yet divorces have been granted there for no graver cause. People who can afford to make* the trip and to pay the heavy petition, fees an ( f heavier lawvors’ hills are good spenders. so 'Reno welcomes them and extends every facility.

“Thus .woe succeeds a woe.” —Herrick Now the cold weather lias set in we are likely to suffer one woe after an other—cold* will succeed cold in seemingly endless procession; unless, of course, we keep that fine old specific Baxter’s Lung Preserver, handy. So tiles and relieves coughs and colds in stoutly. Promotes the disease-resist-ing powers of the system, aiding it to repulse a relapse. barge 'family-sized bottle at 4s (id is most economical! Smaller sizes al 2s (id and Is Gd. Sold by all chemists and stores. A now screw cap preserves the contents.