MAINTENANCE DEFAULTERS

Evening Star, Issue 22203, 4 December 1935, Page 18

MAINTENANCE DEFAULTERS

PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES IN COURT [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, December 3. A candidate for the Bay of Islands seat at the General Election, Robert Edward Homblow, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court to-day before Mr W. R. M‘Kean, S.M., charged with failing to comply with a maintenance order for 7s 6d a week in respect of his former wife. Questioned by . the maintenance officer, the defendant said he conducted a weekly newspaper in North Auckland, which, however, had lost headway rapidly in the bad. times. All the takings were paid into the hank and the defendant drew out about £4 a week, £3 of which he paid in wages to his assistant.

The Maintenance Officer: You stood for Parliament, did you not? The Defendant: I did. The Maintenance Officer: What did it cost you? The Defendant: Nothing. My supporters paid. Questioned by the magistrate, the defendant said he had lost his deposit. The money had been lent to him by a relative.

The defendant continued that his wife went away with another man, the defendant agreeing to her obtaining a divorce, the expenses of which he paid. “ At 40 odd years of age I was worth £20,000,” he added. The, Maintenance Officer said the defendant’s former wife was destitute in Dunedin. The arrears of maintenance amounted to over £3O. , “ It is apparently more profitable to be a politician than the proprietor of a newspaper,” remarked the magistrate, . who said there did not appear to be wilful default and fhe matter would be dismissed. ‘ MAORI NOMINEE CHARGED AUCKLAND, December 3. Stated in evidence by his wife to have contested a Maori seat under his Maori name, Sehvyn Hovel), a dentist, of Waihi, was also charged with failing to comply with a maintenance order.

In a letter to the court the defendant said his business had been badly affected by the mining strike. A sentence of two month’s imprisonment was imposed which the magistrate said would b©_ suspended as long as the defendant maintained the current payments and paid 5s a week off the arrears.