Show U OF U TEACHER PROPOSES CHANGE IN MARRIAGE LAW changes in utah marriage laws are advocated by owen F beal professor of sociology at the university of utah in a monograph which he has just published A legislative and statistical study of marriage and divorce in utah more interest should be shown in improving marriage laws than improving divorce laws according to dr beal he suggests that the minimum age required for marriage in utah be raised to sixteen years for females and eighteen for males in line with the practice of other states he advocates the requirement of a health certificate as a part of the marriage proceed ure and an advance notice law of marriage to prevent hasty marriages contrary to currant opinion the marriage rate in utah has tended to increase slightly rather to decrease the report continues there were more married persons in proportion to the population 15 years of age and over in 1930 than in any of the previous decades for which we have figures A little more than three fifths of the population a 15 years of age and over are married A greater percentage of rural residents in utah are married than are urbanites according to the report of urban females 15 years of age and over per cent are married and per cent of rural females are married dr beal notes an increase in the divorce rate from one divorce in every marriages in 1887 to one divorce in every 56 marriages in 1930 somewhat more than three fourths of the divorces are granted to the wife and three principal grounds for divorce in utah are neglect to provide cruelty and desertion ser tion A background of law alone will not suffice the university of utah professor concludes when legislation has done its utmost to provide conditions favorable to the growth of wholesome family life there still remains the problem of preparing the individuals for married life this is largely a process of education among all general remedies known to us today educational diffort effort offers the greatest hope to deepen the respect in which the family institution is held by the public in general as well as to bring about needed reform in its operation |