"NO RIGHT TO LIBERTY."

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1926, Page 5

"NO RIGHT TO LIBERTY."

MAINTENANCE ARREARS. AX AGENT'S LADY FRIEND. (Bγ Telegraph.—Orvn Correspondent ) j HAMILTON", this day. ' An insurance agent named .lames Wallace Willis was charged befqre Mr. Wyvern Wilson. S>.M.. with being £13!) iin arrears for the maintenance of his j wife. Willis said he and his wife I mutually separated in Sydney in I! , --. Defendant then went to Tasmania, where he received £S 10/ a week. Of this he paid his wife £4 a week until • September, 19:24. He then had the misfortune to break his le<r and the payment* fell into arrears. In February. 1!>2.5, he had a further illness, and later lest his employment. He came to New Zealand in July. 192.1. where he was j now working as an insurance agent on I commission. He had since sent his wife sums intermittently and at present paid her £3 a week. In answer to Senior Serpeant Sweeney, defendant admitted that he hud had a lady friend in Hamilton, whom he introduced as his wife, and whose board he paid when necessary, although she earned a fair amount of nionev while there as a dressmaker.

His Worship said that he was satisfied that Willis had been spending money on another woman, which he should have been sending , to his wife. Ke sentenced defendant to three months' imprisonment, the warrant to he suspended so lonir as he paid £4 per week to his wife, and £1 per week off the arrears.

Defendant pointed out that while he was now petting- a weekly advance of £!) per week from the company lie worked for. this was merely against commission, which, as a matter of fact. he had not earned. Out of this he had to pay £•'? 10/ per week car hire.

His Worship said the sentence of three months was a punishment for keeping another woman instead of his wife. Defendant had no ripht to his liberty at all. He was merely giving him an opportunity to retain his liberty

by paying up