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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 122, 14 November 1911, Page 6

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ll'oiuhi'.'ted by "Eiloi'ii.") lh.E LAND OF DIVORCE. The Kansas correspondent of a New York newspaper announces with evident pride that "as a habitation of the matrimonially distressed Kansas City; according to figures just complied, has Reno discounted. - ' In 1910 one in every four marriages in Kansas City was a failure, but during the first six months of the present year only two of every three married couples managed to preserve domestic concord and happiness. Between January 1 and June 30, 1900 marriage licenses were issued and nearly 700 divorce suits were filed. The number of marriages was greater than that for the first half of 1910, but the number of divorces increased still more rapidly. Among the various causes suggested are the high cost of living, the laxity of the divorce laws, and the growing independence of women. Probably the facilities offered by the law of the Stato for securing the dissolution of marriages are responsible in a very large measure for the lax ideas of Kansas people regarding the sacredness of matrimony, and ministers of religion and sociologists are demanding immediate reform. One eugenist, however, goes further. Judge Portlefield, the president of the Juvenile Court, which has had to assume the care of many children from broken homes, has begun a movement which is to secure happy, successful marriages. "Too manw persons marry who should not," he remarked in outlining his plan of campaign recently. "That is where all the divorce troubles begin, and right there the law-makers must begin if they are to help conditions. You cannot legislate divorces and broken homes out of existence a? long ns just anvbody can get married, regardless of physical and mental defects.' In addition to having a commission to enquire into the physical and mental condition of applicants for mar riage licenses, Judge Portlefield would have the earning capacity of prospective bridegrooms investigated closely. He also would prohibit the marriage of persons who had known each other for less than six months. Apparently, many of the American States require such reformed legislation as Judge Portlefield suggests. They offer particularly promising fields for the labors of the eugenlsts.

TEN USEFUL COMMANDMENTS Madame Maeterlinck has just explained to a curious world how she became a successful wife "under the most difficult circumstances." These are her ten commandments for wives:—

"I.—Remember always that the true wife is the inseparable half of the only complete humit unit, in which two small and imperfect individualities have become merged in a large and perfect one.

"IX—Each half of the wedded Whole retains special functions; yours are to discern, to anticipate, to yield, to cheer, to soothe—and thus to strengthen. "lll.—Never trust to hirelings the essentials of your husband's physical wellbeing; understand, and frequently practice, the art of selecting and preparing his food.

"I.V.—Be sure each day that his garments are whole and clean, and suited to the season. "V.—Constitute yourself an infallible barometer whereby to forecast and render harmless those electrical disturbances peculiar to the married state. "VT.—Be to your husband's dark moods the subtle, unsuspected antidote; to his joyous mood the companion Spirit of Joy.

"Vlll.—Save your caresses until you perceive that his dinner has been without a flaw; kisses to a hungry man arc like froth to a parched tongue.

"Vlll.—Your tongue for assent; foi argument use only your eyes. "IX.—When your husband has ar attack of gout, depreciate the art of dancing. "X.—lf you would convince your bus band that you are a better actress than Bernhardt, a better dancer than Pavlova, prove to him that you are a better cook than M. Escoffier." HO HOME BUT THE WORKHOUSE.

The Chelsmford laborer who has been forced into a workhouse because there is no cottage procurable, is no isolated victim of the dearth of rural houses (writes a London paper). It is quite a common thing in the country for marriages to be postponed for years solely owing to want of houses. Close to Dunmow is a notorious marriagelesa district, and in spite of a number of would-be village benedicts. In a number of Huntingdonshire villages engagements of ten and fifteen years' duration are common. The coupics either wait indefinitely till a cottage is available or migrate to the towns, or emigrate. An observant motorist through the Eastern Midlands could soon reckon up a hundred vanished homesteads still traceable by either ruins or rectangular foundations covered by the work of worms and moles. Only wealthy landlords can afford to build cottages. The Duke of Bedford in Cambridgeshire; the Duke of Bueeleugh. in parts of Northampton and Huntingdon; the University colleges, and, beat of all. the. Ecclesiastical Commissioners, have built many good cottages for moderate rents; and have done it in spite of financial loss. Some smaller landowners have done their best to erect cheap cottages. There is one notable and most successful example near Salisbury, where the use of local concrete has solved the problem: but in general every other village in the remoter parts of the country is short of cottages. Here other local bodies have built, but. in almost all cases the rrnts ;vrt' move than laborers can pay. Local by-iawn prevent budding. They permit tin- fnlk to live in unhealthy cottsges; they permit overcrowding, and all sorts of insanitary conditions, simply because they dare not turn oul the inh.ibitants. At the same time they enforce the letter of absurd regulations upon anyone desiring to build, and so discourage enterprise. Beyond all question the. rural birth-rate is immensely, diminished by the progressive want of cottages. A gardener with children finds his services absolutely unsaleable, and "no encumbrances" has become a cardinal virtue. The only solution of the great national question is the cheap cottage. A member of a leading firm of builders said to a representative of the Daily Mail that if cottages were standardised they could easily build .-6120 .cottages by means of concrete slabs, but absolutely standardisation would he necessary. Comfortable cottages have recently heen built in some of the new intensive gardens for £BO. With these French gardeners are delighted, but the English workman will not accept a home of wood and corrugated iron. WEIGHTS. PASVE THESE IN' YOUR COOK-BOOK. A scant quart of bread flour, after sifting, a pound; or three and twothird cupfuls (unsifted), a. pound. A pint of graham, sevca 'and threclourtts ounces.

A jiiid of corumeal, ten and one-fourth ,mc('S. A pint .if rice, fifteen ounces. A pint of samp or coarse hominy, Mrtccn ounces. A pint of tipioca, twelve ounces. A pint of butter, one pound. A pint of breadcrumbs, eight and luce-quarter ounces. A pint of raisins, nine ounces (lightly neasuied). A pint of currants, ten ounces. A pint of granulated sugar, a pound (sometimes scant and sometimes liberal). A pint of brown sugar, thirteen junces. A pint of maple sugar broken into crumbly pieces, equals one pound and four ounces. An ounce of butter, two level tablespoonfuls. An ounce of flour, four level tablespoonfuls. An ounce of cornstarch, three tablespoonfuls (level). An ounce of granulated sugar, two level tablespoonfuls. An ounce of ground coffee, five level tablespoonfuk, An ounce of cloves, four level tablespoonfuls. An ounce of mace, four level tablespoonfuls. An ounce of curry, four level tablespoonfuls. An ounce of mustard, four level tablespoonfuls. An ounce of thyme, eight level tablespoonfuls. (Thyme is very light). An ounce of olive oil, two tablespoonfuls. An ounce of chopped suet, a fourth of a cupful. An ounce of grated chocolate, three level tablespoonfuls. An ounce of pepper, four level tablespoonfuls. An ounce of salt, two level tablespoonfuls.