TAX' ON CELIBACY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9440, 10 May 1909, Page 6

TAX' ON CELIBACY.

New York, March 16. * ‘ Irreclaimable bachelors’ ’ are now*’ having a bad time in the State of Maine, where a (legislative bill has 4 been proposed with the object of taxing Jnngallant citizens and providing a small pension for old maids with the proceeds. Kansas, as I Informed you recently, has bravely taken up the cudgels in behalf of.the ladles, and from what’ I haar, agrand assault against selfish, unsociable man is being developed in other progressive States, which ‘will require much bachelor strategy to defeat. Id America, it is urged, where divorce is so easy and inexpensive, there is less excuse fox celibacy than anywhere else, and yet celibacy here, since the money panic in 1907, has become fashionable. Representative Campbell’s bill, introduced to-day into the legislature of the Statejof Maine, is framed on a basis that men who make no reasonable attempt to marry by the time they are 30 years old should help to support the spinsters who have never received a proposal on. reaching the age of 40 years. Mr Campbell proposes to mulct every unmarried man of 30 or over at the rate of £3 a year, the fund thus raised to he applied to the support and relief of deserving women who are still spinsters, although willirg; to marry if they 'get a fair chance. The law has some relief measures for bachelors or widowers who can show that they have made a reasonableeffort to get a wife by proposing; three times, either to three different women or to one woman.

“Reasonable” offers are held to te any proposal of matrimony ;made in good faith by any man notan inmate of an insane asylum, and unoouvtoted of felony or infamous crime. Nobenefit exceeding £2O a year is to oe paid to any spinster. Mr Campbell has received assurances of support, and in the meantime’hle bill is being, warmly discussed.