Table I. SOCIAL. In presenting statistics on divorce, only final decrees have been considered, no account being taken of interlocutory decrees. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911, 25,991 marriages were recorded in the State of California. During the same period there were granted 3,700 final decrees of divorce, the percentage of divorce to marriage being 14.2 per cent, or about one divorce to every seven marriages. In the county of San Francisco there were 5,013 marriages and 1,028 divorces, or more than one divorce to every five marriages. In Los Angeles County there were 5,824 marriages and 731 divorces, or about one divorce to every eight marriages. In Alameda County there were 2,469 marriages and 438 divorces, or more than one divorce to every six marriages. Alpine and Mono were the only counties in which no divorces were granted. Marin County had 944 marriages and only 26 divorces, or less than one divorce to every 35 marriages. Very nearly this same ratio prevailed in both Orange County and San Luis Obispo County. Of the total of 3,700 divorces granted in the State, 960 or 26.2 per cent were the result of actions in which husbands were plaintiffs, and 2,730 or 73.8 per cent were the result of actions in which wives were plaintiffs. In the county of San Francisco 25.3 per cent of the actions were brought by husbands, and 74.7 per cent by wives. In Los Angeles County 27.4 per cent were brought by husbands, and 72.6 per cent by wives. In Alameda County 24.0 per cent were brought by husbands, and 76.0 per cent by wives. Of the total number of couples to whom divorces were granted, 2,373, or 64.2 per cent, were married in California; 1,023 couples, or 27.6 per cent, were married in the United States, excluding California; 127 couples, or 3.4 per cent, were married in foreign countries, while in 177 instances the place of marriage was not stated. In San Francisco County 64.8 per cent were married in California and 24.2 per cent in the United States outside of California. In Los Angeles County 46.5 per cent were married in California and 45.7 per cent in the United States outside of California. In Alameda County 65.8 per cent were married in California and 22.4 per cent in the United States outside of California. Table II. Divorces were granted to couples married less than five years in 714 instances; to couples married five to ten years in 1,542 instances; to couples married eleven to twenty years in 933 instances; and to couples married over twenty years in 479 instances, representing respectively 19.3 per cent; 41.7 per cent; 25.2 per cent; and 12.9 per cent of the total. The percentages of the total-represented by couples married over ten years-were 38.1 per cent for the State as a whole; 33.2 per cent for the county of San Francisco; 39.1 per cent for the county of Los Angeles; and 38.8 per cent for the county of Alameda. Table III. Of the total number of divorces 156, or 4.2 per cent, were granted for adultery; 1,085, or 29.3 per cent, for extreme cruelty; 1,667, or 45.1 per cent, for wilful desertion; 609, or 16.5 per cent, for neglect and failure to provide; 141, or 3.8 per cent, for intemperance; and 35, or 0.9 per cent, for conviction of a felony. Table IV. Of the total of 3,700 couples to whom divorces were granted, 1,821, or 49.2 per cent, were without children. In San Francisco County 68.4 per cent of the couples were without children. In Los Angeles County 63.6 per cent; and in Alameda County 36.1 per cent. In the State there were about seven minor children to every ten divorces. In San Francisco County there were about five children to every ten divorces, while in Los Angeles and Alameda counties the ratio was about six children to every ten divorces. There were 2,547 minor children affected by the granting of divorces in the State. Of this number, 638, or 25.1 per cent, were less than five years of age; 963, or 37.8 per cent, from five to ten years of age; and 788, or 30.9 per cent, were over ten years of age. In 158 instances the ages were not given. Table V. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912, 28,969 marriages were recorded in the State. During the same period 3,949 final decrees of divorce were granted, the percentage of divorce to marriage being 13.6 per cent, or about one divorce to every seven marriages. In the county of San Francisco there were 5,500 marriages and 1,049 divorces, or about one divorce to every five marriages. In Los Angeles County there were 6,878 marriages and 941 divorces, or about one divorce to every seven marriages. In Alameda County there were 2,670 marriages and 482 divorces, or about one divorce to every six marriages. Alpine and Mono were the only counties in which no divorces were granted. In the counties of Marin, Modoc and Orange there were more than fifty marriages recorded to every divorce granted. Of the total of 3,949 divorces granted in the State, 1,098, or 27.8 per cent, were the result of actions in which husbands were plaintiffs, and 2,851, or 72.2 per cent, were the result of actions in which wives were plaintiffs. In San Francisco County 25.6 per cent of the actions were brought by husbands and 74.4 per cent by wives. In Los Angeles County 28.2 per cent were brought by husbands and 71.8 per cent by wives. In Alameda County 27.8 per cent were brought by husbands and 72.2 per cent by wives. Of the total number of couples to whom divorces were granted, 2,544, or 64.4 per cent, were married in California; 1,084, or 27.5 per cent, were married in the United States, excluding California; 155, or 3.9 per cent, were married in foreign countries; while in 166 instances the place of marriage was not stated. In San Francisco County 67.4 per cent were married in California and 23.0 per cent in the United States outside of California. Los Angeles County showed only 46.9 per cent married in California, with 42.9 per cent married in the United States outside of California. In Alameda County 67.8 per cent were married in California and 24.1 per cent in the United States outside of California. Table VI. Divorces were granted to couples married less than five years in 725 instances; to couples married from five to ten years in 1,664 instances; to couples married from eleven to twenty years in 1,050 instances; and to couples married over twenty years in 473 instances, representing, respectively, 18.4 per cent; 42.1 per cent; 26.6 per cent; and 12.0 per cent of the total. The percentages of the total represented by couples married over ten years were 38.6 per cent for the State as a whole; 34.5 per cent for the county of San Francisco; 38.9 per cent for the county of Los Angeles; and 40.9 per cent for the county of Alameda. Table VII. Of the total number of divorces granted, 141, or 3.6 per cent, were for adultery; 1,165, or 29.5 per cent, for extreme cruelty; 1,799, or 45.6 per cent, for wilful desertion; 664, or 16.8 per cent, for neglect and failure to provide; 140, or 3.5 per cent, for intemperance; and 34, or 0.9 per cent, for conviction of a felony. Table VIII. Of the total of 3,949 couples to whom divorces were granted, 2,069, or 52.4 per cent, were without children. In San Francisco County 49.5 per cent were without children; in Los Angeles County 66.5 per cent; and in Alameda County 68.3 per cent. In the State there were about seven minor children to every ten divorces; in San Francisco County about five; in Los Angeles County about six; and in Alameda County about seven. There were 2,622 minor children affected by the granting of divorces. Of this number, 649, or 24.8 per cent, were less than five years of age; 1,009, or 38.5 per cent, were from five to ten years of age; and 819, or 31.2 per cent, were over ten years. In 145 instances the ages were not given. In the table following is given the number of marriages and divorces in the State of California for the six fiscal years ending June 30, 1912: During the four fiscal years ending June 30, 1910, the percentage of divorce to marriage showed a marked increase in the State. In the fiscal year 1906-07 there existed the approximate ratio of one divorce to every ten marriages, while in 1909-10 this ratio had become, by yearly increases, one divorce to every seven marriages. Since 1909-10 the percentage has remained practically stationary, with even a slight decrease in the year just past-1911-12, when the ratio was approximately one divorce to every seven and one half marriages. Much the same condition of affairs has existed in the three largest counties of the State. In the fiscal year 1906-07, the ratio in San Francisco County was one divorce to every eight marriages. By 1909-10 this ratio had become one divorce to every five marriages, and approximately this ratio was in force in the two succeeding years. In Los Angeles County the ratio increased from one divorce to eleven marriages in 1906-07; to one divorce to seven marriages in 1909-10, was one to eight in 1910-11, and again one to seven in 1911-12. In Alameda County the ratio was one to eighteen in 1906-07, had increased to one to six in 1909-10, and was one to six in both 1910-11 and 1911-12. |