THE LAW OF INHERITANCE

Evening Star, Issue 16782, 10 July 1918, Page 3

THE LAW OF INHERITANCE

«. TIME RIPE FOR CHANGE. A deputation from the Soldiers' Mothers' League waited on Sir James Alien at Auckland yesterday with reference to an anomaly in the law of inheritance. Mr Parr, M.P., in introducing the deputation, said, that under the SUitute of Distribution, dating from about the reign of Charles 11., the estate of a bachelor dying intestate went to his father solely. Several instances had cropped up in which '.young soldiers had been absolutely neglected by their f atlier3_ during the- period of rearing and education, yet when the youths had made a groat sacrifice the. fathers claimed and received insurance money and other estate. He thought the mother -was entitled to at least an equal share. Sir James Allen said_ many cases had • come before him in which men who had deserted their wives had enforced their claims to deceased soldiers'_ estates, and he had had great difficulty in preventing such men from benefiting by allotments and allowances that ought to go to wives and mothers. He did. not know how far the law could bo altered next session,, or whether the Government would be prepared to legislate, but he would place the matter before the Attorney-General to see if means could be devised to place the matter on a more equitable basis.