MARRIAGE STATISTICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1922, Page 10

MARRIAGE STATISTICS.

A CHEERFUL NOTE. Tn allusion to the recent marriage statistics, which have caused a number of quite good people, colloquially speaking, to “get the wind up,” an English writer sounds a cheerful note which is much wanted, judging from much which appears in the British papers and magazines. After dealing with the fact that, in spite of many obstacles, women have succeeded in finding careers for themselves apart from marriage, the writer says that because a few women doctors and lawyers are to be seen with the naked eye, there is no need for all the authorities to get alarmed, and try to slam the door in the women’s faces. He continues thus: “So when we are asked to exhibit excitement over the recent disastrous failure of the marriage crop, I think we may feel confident that there is nothing to worry about. The conditions which have produced this failure are temporary, not permanent. A considerable number of young men were lost in the war, but we dare to hope that it will be long before such another tax is levied on England. Besides this directly disastrous influence on the marriage rate, the war exercised indirect influence not equally deplorable but limiting the present possibilities of marriage. During the war and immediately after a great many young people married who would in normal times have waited awhile. That is to say, many of the marriages which should be in last year’s statistics or this year’s were made a long while ago. It is all very confusing, no doubt, but we had better recognise that the events between 191'4 and 1918 have upset the statisticians as- we'll as more important people.”