Salt Lake Telegram | 1934-09-12 | Page 6 | Divorces Scanned

SALT LAKE SKETCHES v Divorces Scanned Deputy Clerk ClerI Recites Conclusions Regarding Regarding Regarding Regard Regard- ing ing- Married Life The first five live years used wed to be bethe bethe bethe the most crucial period of ot married life lile Chaotic conditions of at the past three years came changing nearly everyone's life in one respect or an an- other Now the most crucial period for newly married couples is the first year and a half hal or two years of wedded life The above Is 15 a part of deductions Fred C. C Bassett Tenth East street draws from divorce statistics which he has been studying for lor years in his capacity of deputy county clerk of Salt SaIl Lake county Mr Bassett until a few weeks ago prepared annual reports for the United States department of ot com corn mcree census bureau dealing with divorces granted in Salt Lake county When the new deal swung its economy economy econ econ- omy amy ax on federal expenditures costs of at these reports were among those slashed from the budget Continues Continue Work Inasmuch as he had his own forms and had become accustomed to preparing preparing pre pro paring and k keeping up the divorce record Mr Bassett has continued the work new deal notwithstanding As an ardent student of these records records rec rec- he has drawn many conclusions conclusions aided in the making by his 13 years' years experience with court cases and records of various types From a legal standpoint he is probably woefully lacking in ability But from a practical standpoint Mr Bassett is probably better qualified to io pass on divorces than nearly any other individual connected with local courts handling such matters Other conclusions he has reached That divorces despite their increase increase in in- crease in recent years are fewer than marriages every year That marriages which follow elopements elopements elope elope- I ments arc are not as s successful as marriages marriages mar mar- contracted openly and pre pre- arranged Greatly Lessened That chances of divorce coming to toa a couple are arc greatly lessened when there arc children in the family The ratio approximately ly is two divorces divorce where there are no children in the family amily to one divorce where children are involved That drunkenness a a. a common ground for divorce a few years ears ago has las practically d disappeared from tram pleadings in such cases nowadays ww ci i S. S 4 S S jw A J Fred cL C C. C Bassett That cruelty cruelty the leading ground for or divorce for many years ears is bein being dropped as a basis of f plea pleading ing and supplanted by lIy nonsupport whether it to is I dont don't know a throwback from days of knighthood when men were presumed to be so sc chivalrous that they never rais raised d their voice ab aboVe a ladys lady's regardless regard regard- less 1055 of what was at stake or what but the fact remains said Mr Bassett Bassett Bassett Bas Bas- sett that most divorce suits are filed by women Few Contests It is an equally true fact at least in Salt Lake count county that few husbands husbands hus hus- bands contest divorces filed by wives When this situation is reversed reversed re reo re- re versed however and the husband files the complaint there is nearly always a contest and frequently a aone bitter one consuming much of the courts court's time and many of at the taxpayers taxpayers' ers era dollars