A FATHER'S RIGHTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 168, 16 July 1921, Page 9

A FATHER'S RIGHTS.

ACCESS TO HIS CHILDREN. One of the peculiarities attendant anon many cases of unhappy marriages, is the earnest way in -which the husband who lias just been severely criticised if not villified by liis wife, appeals to the conrt for permission to take out his children on his weekly half-holiday. Although, the wife frequently remarks spitefully that her husband did not show any love for the children, the man usually persists in i his demand to see them. An application i was made by Mr. Alan Moody before Mr E. C. Cutten, 8.M., by a man who had been separated from his wife, to be permitted to see the children. On the 2°nd of May, IP2I, the wife got a separation order, with maintenance and guardianship of the children, but no stipulation was made that the father should have reasonable access to his children. Mr. Moody now asked that the order be varied so that the wife should allow the father to see the children en hie weekly half-holiday. Mr. J. J. Sullivan, who represented the wife, said the difficulty was that the woman was afriad of her husband. Mr. Moody urged that a father had right of access to his children, even though the mother had been given guardianship by the court. Even granting that the husband and wife could not agree, the father should be allowed to see the children towards whose maintenance he was contributing. If, as was stated, the wife was afraid of her husband, arrangements could be made for a third person to take them to the father on ttie half-holiday. Mr. Cutten eaid no court would interfere with a father's natural desire to have access to his children. He decided to adjourn the matter, in order to be informed by whom it could be arranged that the children should be taken to their father.