WOMEN IN FRANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 75, 30 March 1933, Page 13

WOMEN IN FRANCE.

The recent action for a divorce in France wherein a wife gave as a reason her husband's habit of snoring and his refusal either to have the cause of the enoring removed or to allow her_ to occupy a eeparate room ie in curious contrast with the hardships endured by wives seeking divorce on more strenuous grounds. While snoring on the grand scalo may easily drive one mad, there is in it no suggestion of a rival, no question of malico aforethought. It is even probable that the snorer does not really believe the accusations of being a public nuisance brought against him by hie wife. Continual ill-treatment in I the home, however, of which a defendant i may be entirely conscious is a, much more difficult accusation to bring with any chance of success, as ie also the riotous spending of money, and in particular of money brought or earned by the wife. A Frenchman may easily take possession of his wife's money and eo make it almost impossible for her to bring any action against him. Not long ago an English firm who paid a Frenchwoman in Paris for her services to them were much surprised to receive a letter from the husband summoning them to make over the wife's money direct to ■ him. Needless to eay, they did no( comply with his request; but in France he would have been within his rights. Should he choose to live with a woman not his wife, he may, in default of a, ■special agreement, use his wife's earnings with which to support her rival ■with perfect impunity. It is true that ■■ she may divorce him in theory, but without - money the ostensibly easy divorce in France is by no means all that it seems. Equally trivial causes can- be brought forward with every (prospect of euceeee.