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Newspaper Page Text
LOW WAGES CAUSE OF CENT OF DIVORCES, Cook county reports the divorce epidemic as becoming alarming. An average of 5,500 divorces are being recorded yearly. In an effort to reach some solution of the problem County Clerk Robert M. Sweitzer recently appointed Pat rick J. J. McCarthy to the newly-created position of marriage and diyorce statistician. McCarthy has made a careful study of the problem and he has come to the conclusion, based on research, that more than 50 per cent of the divorces are caused by low wages. "The average American laborer is a well-paid man to those of other countries," said McCarthy. "But his wages reach a very small way in pay ing for today's necessities which were luxuries ten years ago." "There are 5,500 divorces granted in Chicago every year, and only one group out of every hundred own their own home. The average family can not live within its income and for this reason in many of the cases no ali mony is all allowed." McCarthy also made the startling declaration that it was the first baby that usually made the newly-wed family bankrupt "Marriage boosters who constant ly quote that 'Two can live cheaper than one' seem to forget the amend ment that 'three cannot live cheaper than two.' The added expense fre quently forces the father in debt. The wife urges him to make more money. They quarrel and divorce. "Let us hope that some day a law will be passed which will grant the mother a pension for every child in stead of investigating to see if she is destitute first as the Illinois Mothers' Pensions law provides." In compiling the report the mar riage license clerk's office it was found that the licenses had fallen far short of the normal increase. There is usually a gain of 3,000 a year, but MORE THAN FIFTY PER SAYS STATISTICIAN from present appearances the num ber issued this year is likely to fall below the average. "In the history of this office there has been only one year in which the licenses issued fell below those issued the preceding one," said Louis Leg ner, chief of the marriage license bu reau. "This was in 1908 the year folowing the panic when the num ber issued was 3,000 less than the preceding year. The number issued in 1907 was 26,724 and in 1908 23, 755. The business conditions today are somewhat similar to what they were then." EDDIE JACKSON IS TALKING AFTER POLICEMEN Eddie Jackson, well-known pick pocket, is talking. This information which was told in The Day Book sev eral days ago is now announced defi nitely. He is said to have told Hoyne about giving protection money to coppers in Barney Bertsche's old sa loon in the temporary City Hall. He is also reported to have given Hoyne the names of several detec tives who are claimed to have been taking money from crooks and let ting them work unheeded. Jackson is now in Joliet penitentiary. Att'y Charles E. Erbstein, repre senting Bill Egan, appeared in Judge GemmiU's court this morning and de manded a change of venue for both Egan and his partner, Serg't Skip Monahan. Gemmill refused Erb stein's request, but advised the law yer to put the'proposition up to Chief Justice Olson. State's Att'y Hoyne announced to day that he would make out com plaint against twelve policemen at tached to the detective "bureau. They will be accused of collusion with crooks. George Ruckanski, 1637 N. Wood st, suicide. Gas, Out of worfc mmmtmmtgmmmmmmmmiimmmmittmgl