MAINTENANCE CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 254, 25 October 1919, Page 7

MAINTENANCE CASE.

ir <] _icnrv VV arson appenrra neM.re _vir. ■-.. | j C. Cutten, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon to contest ln=i wife's plaint for separation and mainten- 1 ance. Mr. Matthews, who appeared for : ' the wife, remarked this was a case in t which two men went home under the 1 j influence of liquor and beat their respec- ! tive wives, who were sisters. | Senior-Sergeant MaeNamara asked that any order for maintenance should, j besides making provision, for the wife, I allow something for the -maintenance, of I the, four children, who were in a Home, 1 and for whom arrears totalling £113 i 4/3 I had already accumulated. ."-'"* Mrs. Watson said they had been married five years. There were five children, I one wa_ working, and the other four I were in the Convent. She alleged that her husband had ill-treated her, also that ■he was addicted to drink, and when in I liquor had a bad temper. "He took hold -\of "midland gave mc a hiding." she added. Cross-examined by Mr:'J. W. Dickson, witness admitted she had no dinner ready J when her husband came home, but explained that when he was paid he generally had his dinner in town. Witness admitted she had pawned her husband's test suit to pay the rent. While ' her husband was at the front she received 1/6 per day from his pay. Henry Watson" said he was a wharf labourer. He was slightly wounded and gassed at the front. His average earnings were £2 to £3 per week. In answer to Senior-Sergeant MeNamara, witness said his rent was 25/ per week. A room was let for 6/ per week, but the money was not paid to 'him.j j Witness gave his wife all his wages but 'a fe,\v,shillings.. His wifjt-pawned-every-I thing' of his. He had given her ~"£s per' I week for three weeks running. Mr. Cutten made an order for 5/ per week for each of the four children, and 20/ for tho wife. The Senior-Sergeant said: "I will not ask for the arrears." Mr. Cutten: "No, it would be useless making an order/ Mr. Dickson: "My client wants the pawn ticket for his best suit." Mr. Matthews: "I will see he gets it."