MARRIAGE WELFARE SERVICE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5330, 17 February 1947, Page 2

MARRIAGE WELFARE SERVICE

STATE- SPONSORED HBLP AND GUIDANCE I|N( I5RITAIN. State-sponsored help and guidance for people in Britain, both before and after marriage, is recommended in the White Paper just published. This is a final report of the -Gommittee on ■ Prosedtire m Matrimonial Causes, presided over by Mr. Justice Denning. The committee was appointed by the Lord High Chancellor last June to examine che system governing divorce law in Britain, and to consider what machinery should be made available for resolving diffilculties between husband: and wife. The examination has been prompted by the strain imposed upon married life by long wartime separations, cofhbined with crowded living conditions. The report stresses that the function }f the State should be -o encourage — and where appropriate give' financial assistance to — marriage guidance as a :orm of sOcial service. Specialists in Matrimony. Importance is attached to the appointment of welfare officers skilled in psychology and the adjustment of lersonal relations, in order to provide cind and tactful help, for t'hose con;emplating resort to the Divorce Court. The committee, , however, makes it jlear that such a scheme should not be v State institution, but should evolve jradually from existing voluntary irganisations and the experienee of ither skilled "workers. The document insists that, in order o be truly effective and lasting, re•onciliation must be tindertaken by ipecialists, but that intrusion of any cind of an official or a legal atmosihere will inevitably be fatal to mccess. The State, therefore, has a luty to sponsor, without actively par■icipating in, a . recognised organisaion trained in dealing wti'h marriage iroblems.

Education for Family Life. During its discussions the commitee was much impressed by evidence rom experienced workers proving hat the basic causes of marriage ailure are to be found in false ideas nd unsound emotional attitudes de'eloped before matrimony and even a childhood. For this reason, another mtstanding recommendation is the >lan for a carefully graded system of )arenthood and family life. - This would be available0 to all young >eople as they grow up thro'ugh the ml'ightened co-operation of parents, eachers and pastors. In addition, mgaged couples can ensure the suc'ess of their -union through specific ireparation for marriage. Much valuible work in this direction is ali*eady >eing done in Britain, and the comnittee recommends an extension of his. Registration of Divorces. Further proposals cover such subects as the registration of divorces n the same way as birchs and deaths: i new and more solemn wedding cereuony in registry offices; special wel'are officers to watch over the interests )f the children of parents who are iling proceedings in the divorce ourt; increased maintenance and inerim payments until the .court makes m order; retention of the decree nisi ;ystem. The United Kingdom reform pr-o-edure affecting the custody of childen is also examined, with particular ittention to the fact that parents who lave been divorced thereby forfeit ibsolute right to determine the future if their children. By this action they iave * disabled themselves from fulilling their joint responsibilityv and iave created a new situ'ation in which he interests of the children need condderation apart from those of the larents.