DESERTED WIVES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 30, 5 February 1908, Page 3

DESERTED WIVES.

BENEVOLENT TRUSTEES' ACTION. Three case? of wife desertion engaged th» attention of the trustees of the Benevolent Institution at their meetinjj yesterday, and in ones of them piompt action was takea to briag the man back. Both\ he and kis wife ar« 21, and they wer» married ia November last. Winning £25 ot Trantkam tha husband, according to th» ywmijj vrifo'a stery, left her *nd took passage to Sydney. Bhe had applied to the police, else said, and they had refused to help her, unless &ho could indemnify them to the extent ef £20. Mr. A. W. Hogg, M.P., in referring te eases of wif» desertion, said these wtr« ill tos prevalent is New Zealand, and tk» p»sition taken up by th» polie* was mo3t unsatisfactory. He ■would say, however, in this corinection that he had interviewed the- Minister far Justice, and all he had learned from that gentleman was that tho department was net in th& 'habit of ''fretting back these vagabonds. " Mr. Hogg, continuing, Rsid— "l remarked to the Minister that it was monstrous that these men should be allowed to escape, and leave their wives nnd children chargeable to the ratepayers I£ an «ampl« -wore mad* of s*me of them ths practice might not b» so c«mirien ai it is. I always maintain that a man who behcvea like that deserves to be followed and brought back, -even i£ he goes to the N«r(h Pole. Apparently, to far us the police and the authorities are concerned, these men are afforded facilities for getting away. Then* are many cajeb of this kind which we know of officially, but who -can say how many eases there are of which we hear nothing. So far as I can see tho authorities Ere really contributory tn this species of offsnee. Cases of this kind should bo brought' before the Minister for Justice, who should be asked to take tho neeeseary steps to bring these deserting husbands bick." Mr. E. C. Pe«rc« eg reed that men of the »ort complained of should bs brought back, even if it were going to cost J320. H» could iiot se» how poor women could ba expocted to ruis* that sum. Tha* cbiurman. (Key. W. A. Evans) observed that ths police required to be indemnified io Mi* ex. tut of £20 is east I tho pimecnuoa failad. Mr. Ptaix* sub»«quiailr moto<1 ; "Tlmu tbo trustess muke tharnselvw r«*ponsili!o for the indemnification of the police should it be necessary." The wife, who it was alleged h:»d been left, was called in, and she said she required help to go to Sydney, and there ene'eavcur to gst her husband to support her; or far her husband to b© brought; back to New, Zealand. fbhe needed help also to pay for food and rent in the moanlims. Mr. Hog;*- iJepieeateel any idea of seeding the applicant t-o Sydney. "It would give Now Zealand a very bad mmo." he remarked, "if they found, on the other side, that w<> veie sending deserted wives over thsre." Mr. Pewco's motion was carried.