DIVORCE IN AMERICA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 11 June 1907, Page 4

DIVORCE IN AMERICA.

When Die statistics which the Ameri- °» Census Bureau is gathering on marriage ami divorce during Q XP | ils (, tweuly yours are published they are hound to excite, intense interest throughout the country as well a-, alin.-a.il. Between the years 1807 and 1887 about 3:28,000 divorces were granted in (lie United States. It is too early to (ell exactly what the figures will show from 1887 to 18i)7 lint it is worth while noting that Sir North, director of the census, believes that the number will approximate 1,200,000. 'l'liis estimate is based on statistics before him, and is considerably better than a guess. Between 18IJJ anl 1 887 there was an average of 33 divorces fnv every 100,1100 of tile population. Mr North's estimate for the period of 1887 to 11)07 is about 70 divorces for every 100.000 of the population, or more than double {lie number for the first period. Tt is well known that divorce prevails to a large extent in the cities than in the country districts. Sufficient statistics have been gathered to show that Chicago will head the list of cities in th» number of divorces—in fact, will disclose that she has granted three times as many divorces as New York city in proportion to the population. Director North had Hoped that the statistics for the entire country would be completed by this time, but many of the county clerks ir the various States have not made their returns. The task has been gigantic. This is evident from the fact that it was necessary to obtain the cooperation of more than 2000 clerks of counties that did not contain large cities. The Census Bureau last July sent out 150 special agents in the larger cities to obtain data J heir work has progressed excellently, and within a brief period th<! bureau will issue n bulletin upon it. It is quite certain that the revelation will quicken the sentiment for a better regulation of divorces, but it is very doubtful whether it will lead to a movement for a constitutional amendment to enable Congress to handle the subject from top to bottom. It is, perhaps, more likely that the investigation will bring about some degree of uniformity in the laws of the individual States.