LABOURER UNABLE TO PAY DEBTS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 199, 23 May 1925, Page 7

LABOURER UNABLE TO PAY DEBTS

— * WIFE PART OWNER OF RACEHORSES By Telegraph—Press Association. Hamilton, May 21. Some interesting evidence regarding the transactions of a labourer’s wife upon the Turf was heard at the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court, when a borough labourer, called upon to show reason why a judgment order should not be made against him, admitted, in answer to opposing counsel, that his wife owned a half share in and trained two racehorses, Pink Lady and Aberficld Since Ihcv had come info her hands, however, they had won only £3O in stakes.

Mr. King: Do you think it a fair thing to this creditor to allow your wife to spend nionev in training racehorr’S ?

The debtor replied i that the racehorses were grass fed, ami trained on the road. Hi® wife previously trained a useful hurdler in the shape of Keystone.

Counsel: Do you yourself help in the training of the hoises? Debtoi : I only give them a run along the road occasionally. In answer to further questions by Mt. King, debtor denied that he was a betting man, and that any of his earnings were devoted to the cost of keeping the horses. He was earning onlv between £4 and £5 a week, out of which he had to keep nine children. His wife’s interest in the horses was her own affair, and did not affect him financially. *

His Worship': She must be a wonderful woman to bring up nine children and train two racehorses on a labourer's wagds. The Magistrate remarked further thAt the only point in which he was concerned was that defendant, after providing for the feeding and clothing of a family of nine, had nothing left out ot a -wage of £4 or £5 to pay old debts No order was therefore made.