During the six years ending June 30, 1912, willful desertion was the
most common ground for divorce in California. Extreme cruelty was a
close second. These facts are taken from a report submitted by State
Labor Commissioner McLaughlin to Governor Johnson. The average
percentage of divorces to marriages for these six years was 12.9. About
50 per cent of the couples divorced were childless.
The large centers of population showed a much higher divorce rate than
did the state as a whole.