CLAIM FAILS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19611, 6 May 1929, Page 7

CLAIM FAILS.

JUDGE'S STRONG COMMENTS. (IT.E3S ASSOCIATION IELEGBAM.) HAMILTON, May 4. '•lt is certainly not common for a man to marry a rich woman in New Zealand and expect her to keep him in idleness," stated Mr-Justice Blair in a written judgment refusing the application of Alfred Jones, a billiard saloon proprietor, of Hamilton, to be made a beneficiary under his late wife's will. . "Such cases have occurred, hut it is rare that a man is content to accept this unenviable position. He loses caste among iris fellows. Although before the married woman's propjerty Acts the husband became entitled to his wife's e&tate when he honoured her by taking her in marriage, this doctrine has received such a severe handling both by legislation and the trend, of modern ideas that it is doubtful if marriage by a poor man to a rich woman now gives him any moral claims on her purse. A man, with any pride in his manhood would scorn" to advance such a claim." The applicant married Catherine Mildred Cummingjs in 1920. She was then a spinster, aged 43. The applicant was a widower with seven children. The whole burden of supporting him and bringing up the younger members of the family the plaintiff left to the wife. The plaintiff procured from his wife advances of very large sums, which he put into property in his name. The deceased, divided her estate equally among her four brothers and three sisters; each was left approximately £IOOO, except in the case of one brother.