Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, 12th APRIL, 1912. WIFE DESERTION.

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 April 1912, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, 12th APRIL, 1912. WIFE DESERTION.

Mr. Edwin Arnold, of Wellington, who is a Visiting Justice for the City Prisons, has issued ah appeal on behalf of the wives and families of prisoners. lie points out the serious nature of the ordeal to which women and children are usually subjected when their only means of support is withdrawn by the strong arm of the criminal law. .The position in which families are placed when the husband and father is imprisoned for a term is one with which a long experience has evidently made Mr. Arnold familiar. “Long years,” he says, “as a Visiting Justice have mad© me acquainted with family trials. Some are heart-bredk-ing. I have seen the wife and mother, a» woman of irreproachable character, ashamed to show her face in the street because of the wrong-doing of her husband, while her. poor children were upbraided by their playmates because their‘father was in prison. Thus the mother and children have suffered—something worse than physical want. Insult and loss of reputation wore added to destitution.” Then he points out the difficulty that women.placed in such a position often find in securing employment of any kind directly it is known that the husband is “a gaolbird ’’ ; and he graphically contrasts the desperate struggle with destitution of the mother, who is worse off than any widow, with the condition of the criminal, who is well fed, warmly clothed, and snugly sheltered. Attached to this appeal are letters from the American Prisons Association and a Judge of the Juvenile Court at Sacramento showing what is being done in the United States. - In several of the States steps have been taken to'secure for the families of prisoners a portion of their earnings, and - under the Penal Code of California drastic steps are taken to compel lazy and drunken husbands to properly maintain their families. Some time ago attention was called to the position of

deserted families and the desirability of following up the footsteps of the family deserter and bringing him face to face with his responsibilities. The easy method by which'the careless and indifferent were able to shuffle out of their natural liabilities and transfer their burdens to the community has long been a matter of notoriety. Unlimited suffering has been caused and mischief done through the inadequacy of the assistance extended to the deserted ones. Oh them has been cast, too frequently the,, onus of discovering the delinquent and securing his punishment. The. offence has’been treated as something of private rather than public concern,, and this has been the cause of most of the trouble. No easier, cheaper,. or more effective method of divorce could be wcH imagined than a trip to Australia or any of the islands. ; -Hence desertion became a matter of divorce made easy, ind to some extent, as the records of our Receiving Homes show, it has been popularised. Up to the present, it must be admitted, all attempts to grapple with this contagious social difficulty have, failed. What appears, as the Dunedin Star i-emarks, to be wanted is a better recognition of the marriage tie. That knot imposes 'family; respon-

sibilitiea from which there should be no !©scape. j The ■deserter commits an offence, not so much ■'against his family ngaipst ; so<3iety. at; large. He has made himself ah outlaw ,bytrying to place himself beyond the reach of justice. : Why should he be. allowed to remain Jthere? : If 'the -.deserted family; complain,, what has invariably happened ? ; .Have they not bisen told, that it they, want' him arrested they must bear the, post of sending ,an officer,to take‘him hack ?. , Have., they not ‘ been quietly ■ advised cthat their .better course is to leave him .where ho is, and fight the world unaided? Tlie axippi is s universally • accepted that t the innocent must not be allowed ;to suffer. Why, then, should families that are thrifty and, deserving enough be allow-

ed to face destitution or appeal to a benevolent- organisation if they are deprived of their inainstay r ?. If men are cast into-gaol, is it, not incumbent that provision, should be made while they are there, forltheirrwives;ahd. children? Is.it not the primary duty;of the,. State Hdri> ahafrthat ipunishmejnt Shall jiot falkdn-the Because an ; , offended is\depriyedi .of ;ihi»' liberty must, his dependents suffer? l "Is tpe Hdsbaud dine fepougli tniimself within tire, pale .pf, iiiiw aeHers and., criminals who have faith' alwuW, if

practicable, be .required \o' ■maintain their families; but under no circumstances should the families be allowed to suffer through, being deprived .of their natural means of support.- If a married man has his liberty confiscated,, and his family are deprived of hifc. earnings, it should he recognised that they have a claim for support on the' State., This seems only reasonable. At all hazards, the dignity and independence of the social structure should be preserved, but this cannot be achieved if the unfortunate families of deserters and offenders are left to beg, steal, or fight with • destitution. A remedy must be- promptly applied.

Many tourists are visiting the scenic resorts, especially the Franz Josef Glacier, during the lalst fortiiigjit, :orae coining over the ranges from the Hermitage.' ; The Ghoiv of Holy Trinity Church' are reminded of the speciadpractice this evening for the, harvest festival on Sunday,— Advt. - - :. ' 1 / ,

Those who have their hair falling out should try “Hairaid. ” One bottle will effect a most wonderful improvement; it hover fails. Call -at C. Nissen’s, hairdresser, for a bottle.—Advt, , ■ Dr. Johnston has resigned the position of Medical Superintendent of the Ross Hospital, and the Westland Hospital rand Charitable Aid Board have received applications from Dr J. An Doctor (Auckland) and Dr. Perry (Monganui) for the poar tion. These applications have been referred to theßoss Committee for a recommendation. * In illustrating the importance of coal miing to the industries of the world, Air James Bishop mentioned at last night’s banquet that 35 years ago the worlds coal production was 270,000,000 tons, while last year the output was represented by the enormous, total of 1,150,000,000 tons. If further proo fwere needed/of the dependency of industries upon coal, it was to be found in the events of the last few i weeks in Britain. So soon as the coal supplies became exhausted, practically ■ every industry in the country canic Viva siindstill, being dependent ,on iqines for the , fuel so .essential to their ■operation. ’ ’ . '

Here are a few specials just arrived at Mrs C. Wise’S, Mackay StreetLadies’ sealette coats, beaver arid sealette hats, sealette stoles and muffs, long knitted jackets, shirt blouses; with two collars 'in flannel, radianta, and crepe, superior qualities in dainty silk blouses trimmed in the newest style, serge skirts only in good qualities, hydi’otetes and tweed coats, excellent qualities in woollen .and flannelette nuderwear, also the newest in. ready-to-wear. hats in felts, tweed motors’ arid paddys.—rAdvt. j ,

At’ lastrnighVs meeting of the Westland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, a letter was received, from the Kumara Committee forwarding accounts for £65 16s. The matron reported 23 patierits reiriained in .the, hospital, seven were admitted and five were discharged. . The Committee reported receipts to have totalled 4s: id. From Mrs Eh; J,

Poole, ‘applying for position of probationer a vacancy occurs. The application was filed for future reference. . . The important bearing which the State CollieHris'ihave’ upon the social and’industrial ■ of’ the Grey ~ district was touch’d' upon by Mr James Bishop in the course of. ia speech which he made at last night’s banquet. He mentioned that last year no less a sum than £91,000 odd had been paid by the "Department in wages alone, the sum of £71,000 being, distri-’ buted at No. 1 Mine and £20,000 at No. 2 Colliery, were development' work was in progress. The whole of this sum had been, circulated in Greymouth or the imriiediate vicinity thereof, so that it - was easy to understand.the benefit the district was deriving from these operations'.which were being conducted by the State. Many glowing tributes to the worth, ability arid popularity ,of the‘ Hon, James Colvin were paid to him at last night s banquet, and'one, which is worthy of reproduction, came from his colleague, the Minister of Marine. The Mayor read the following telegram which he had received that night from the Hon. George Laurerison : —“I cannot allow This opportunity to pass without expressing the pleasure I feel r■ii.l i J «

at heaving' that my old friend and colleague, the Hon. James Colvin, is being honoured at Greymouth to-night. No one except one who sat in Parliament with'Mr Colvin knows how highly he'is respected and loved by all. I sincerely hope that the gathering to-night will - be successful in every way.” The place to. buy your tweeds for the winter season is where you can rely on getting good value. These tweeds are excellent quality and can be procured ’ from Mrs C. Wise’s, Maickay Street, also'the quality in creme and navy serges you are looking for, along with the striped blousings in cashmere, viyella,; wincey .and flannelette. A now lot of velveteens have ilist arrived, in creme and green corduroy, plain, in maroon, peacock, navy, . hrovm and other shades. A good stock of lace collars, veilings, ribbons, gloves and hosiery and the chinon hair nets are now showing.—Advt. v _ What is in a name? The Minister of Mihhs is evidently puzzled by query. At last night’s hanquety the Member for Puller remarked that since he had attained Ministerial rank, arid especially that night, he had been called “The. Hon. James Colvin;” Now that seemed very funny* to him, as, if he went down Tire street, his old churns would greet mm as ‘-‘Jimmy,” whilst with his friends, it was always .“Uncle.” And he liked it. He' Wanted them still , to address him as of old, “Jimmy’ nr “Uncle,” but he did not time friends whom-he had .been- associated with all his life to come up and adders him as “The Honourable Mr Colvin. He was still “Jimmy.” (Loud applause.). Mr. A. G .Kemp, local representative for the. Royal Academy qf 1 Music and Royal College of Music, London, has re-; ' ceived advice'' that the Board has awarded

exhibitions, tenable at.the Royal,Academy of Music, London, to the following candidates, who presented themselves for examination last year ; —Dorothy Browning Invercargill, pianoforte (teacher, Mv Ghas. Gray); Marv Gordon Frazer, Dunedin, pianoforte (Mr Max -Scherek). Three exhibitions are offered annually to candidates in Australasia,, entitling theuv holders to free musical' tuition at the Koyai Academy or Royal College, iLpildph, for a course of not less than two years. It is , worthy .of note That, in competition with, the whole of Australia,, NeW” Zealand^ candidates ihave carried off. two of .the three exhibitions offered. ‘The third has been awarded to Miss Mylie, of Bendigo. .■

Ladies interested in stencil work are invited to cejll and inspect the new stocks of stencil designs just opened, up at > R. Dixon’s, Tainui stret.—Advt. • ■; A single dose , of Tonking’s Linseed will stop you or three doses will make you well. Advt. For the convenience of customers, , JSteele has removed his valuable stock of drapery to more convenient ptMoiees in Boundary Street, next.td’Mundy s Eate. Now is .your chance to save money by purr chasing new goods at almost your owh prices. Better value was never obtained—come and sec for yourselves.—Advt. Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion. Safe and speedy.—Advt. .' , Don’t lose interest. Renewed energy in every - doM -of ! ' Stearns’ Wine * . layer Extract. Increase your vitality aujd, make your work take on an added ‘inieie«t. —Advt. ... r .‘‘'l y' i The annual meeting of .the Greymouth Golf Club will be held to-morrow (Friday) evening in the kay Street. Full particulars see advertisement.—Aydt. ■■y-r.-. The sun never .sets on the British Empire—neither ‘ does it on Martell’s brandy Lfor wherever Britishers are, “ there also js ' T This lj ig tK£"fege of the^ has „ been specialising in brandy manufacture for over 200 years —Adtt. > * , ' - jiiiiiii / „ . iil

Mass will h? celebrated at pine o’clock arid -, m~Blftckl)ftU.,ftt Ahaura at 7.—Advt, ,- f . ; ■ Surf Gymnastic- Club’* danes tifcjutwgo- 1 the Blaketqwn Scholroom ta eight o’docfe - Eificient ’music.—Advt,' : Messrs *G. - W/'idoas and Cbj.‘f disposed of Mr T.. Walker’s, farm, gether with the steely etc.. situated al.* Maitai (Grey Valley), to Mr Alox. Cowijn the well known dredgemaster. ' Mr J. Jackson, labour agent, Jim w—ceived instructions from, the heftd' ototeT ot his departure, that he can now send thirty to forty men to the railway works at Glenhope, near Murchison', ' ■ ■ The quarterly summoned meeting oi. , te Loyal Groymonlh Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F. will lie held in the Oddfellows’ Hall this (Friday) evening at 8 o’clock. Bueinesft: ! Election of social committee and genersl v

—Advt.. ‘ M It is not generally known that thf“truck” provisions ojf the Wages Protec-,, lion and Contractors Lien Act make it illegal to pay assistants by croesfld cheques. For so doing Nor ten Smith, ft - i publican, was fined in the Wellington S M. Court to-day 5s with costs. The funeral of the late Mr. A. C. iVv. Grant, ,at Hokitika yesterday, ws* attended by a' large gathering of mourners. The members of the Mftso* I nic craft attended in force while the Druids Lodge was also well represented l The Anglican burial service was read . by the Rev. Hore, while Messrs JS'- I?-.;' - Mabin and West of Gf^ymouth roml tiio' l - Masonic andively.' The were’of 1 [ impressive nature and riuitteroui# . f wreaths sent by friends from all-parts s of the -district wereplaced ! graveside. W ‘. i-V ' > Two guineas for four lines of posiryl ■ Read Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion latainftJ r ion every Saturday amongst oee iUsne.— ® Advt. • s ’ '

,: Mr T. E. Y. Seddoa, M. P., who«e .fluency was much remarked upon, ' responding to the toast of ‘‘The>•; tixent of N ew. Zealand 9 Vat last nightfejiw-• juet, at one stage addressed the gather-. iug as “Ladies and gentlemen,”, but «» . there were no representatives of te.. fair,.; ?ex’ present, the - assemblage .laughed loudly at the slip—or, was it fpree of habit?—made by the Member for W«i; •and. Mr Sedlon, amidst laughter, naively confessedthat *■’ : i talk to the ladies—it ‘ was, after all, -» strength, not a weakness (laughter, and, applause). ■ / \ , i The quoting of statistical information at x banquet; is generally' V3iy■ wearißOiiie.r'tfti' the gathering, but. some figures whichv Mr J. D. Lynch mentioned at last night’s junction proved the exception to the tuJsv. In prophesying a splendid future for the district, • Mr Lynch mentioned th«iv had compiled from" official records a fri'fjiguves which showed the n\arvellohu»,strides this district had - made aanjawi;: with other parts. During the last, eight}’ nonths, the value of exjiorts from Grayir;.nouth (coal not included), was £306,16(y. .whilst 1 during the same period Timarrir ent out £310,000; But in the lattertigures • £184,000 represent the value . of*, wool alone/ If coal were taken into aey; ■onnt, it would be found that Greymoutliji trade greatly exceeded that' of 1 TimafU. 1 They had also to remember, that, in thj? ;ase- of Greymouth' the exports war*.,only.. secured by the employment of a very coup, iiderable quantity of labour; " Writes the Soutii Westland correspond*

>nt of the West Coast. ■> Times-Sheep lipping is the -rule in this ipw with settlers.' I ue being made to improve ; the,-fldekft c' Very' little progress seeing \ in starting the, Wataroa Dairy ,Fa*> bory. ' The fact - isr that ire required in the district,.. but it. seems the land is all jeople who will not .use others to do so- This state - of thing* is indeed bad, but if the, new l*rid Commissioner acts up to what ho says, things will bo altered. Toand -jthot'AP,-, aow left in its native state will bo made productive, and a. mucb.neodea jopulation will arrive, which- •* necessary to make that portion of the district progress ,as it should -do.! : • ‘

.Several matters concerning the Otirij Jottagc Hospital were dealt with etypsterday’s meeting of the Westland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. The Our* Committee forwarded matron Davis * resignation, and advised that’Mita Wakelyrt would undertake the duties •.hat matron Davis had bee appointed to the. position of .matron -of .the- AkaJp*' t ' Hospital; and that A. Cartwright had .'.ndertaken the duties of housemaid at * ;alary of 25s per weak. The Committee resolved that the attention "of All tees be drawn to the -fact that ' no/ ulotee.s of the various hospitals were titled to a holiday unless they had discharged their duties for at least twelve" months. A letter was received from Dbm* it Otira and enclosing testimonial*. U Was resolved to appoint the epplfeafcjga ihe position. Dr Cairns reporting ,that t-heye were-50-Out also that one patient had been admitted ; and one discharged.- ' Mr Clayton, Government dairy expert,, has made' a thoixmgli inspection of , the ;

Ivumara district in the interest* of the -ittiers contemplating the erection of a butter factoi-y there. He has visited tfyf Taramakau Settlement afid v.Jjhe 1 church Road and. 1 is very favourably' iipr pressed with the possibilities of te district, A suitable site bw -not,-yet been ; decided on; this will depend •a‘ l on fthe 'quality of and, to - test thhUMp samples of the water from the* the “ Zigzag samples will, be forwarded to the Go vernmeiit' analyst in Wellington. Dl , Phillips kindly sterilised the. samples be ; fore they, were forwarded. Mr’- Qlayton, 1 report will he awaited .with intefcget.Jy the settlers and business men of tbs dip [ trict. ‘He proceeded .by last 'evesiinjfi ’ train to Hokitika, en route for. Weitehq - wlmre another buter factory established. ’ . ‘ * The usual social in aid, of thfe,-Bbd*te-town School, prize fund wap held in' the schoolroom on Thursday evening and was as successful as its predecessor*,:, teventeej •tables being required -to ■ accommodate ihe guests who assembled to compete in (he euchre tournament. The prizes donated at these social*' are ; of ' and attractive character and are well worth winding apart fph’m- tho honp p .*ft--tached to victory. In the te winners at last night’s social *'were Mr» Geo. Weaver first,.a'set of crockery, and' Mrs J. Weaver second, . gUaswpre. The successful gentlemen - , were Mr Gray Ist. a set of cutlery, .and Mr Maypocfu second, a roast of beef. The committee deserve the praise for the exf (.‘client management•' of these- ‘evening* , and for the Jealous way in which they ■J are working for/' a most x deserving- . jeot. The socials are held each Thurs- | dav evening,' /dances and f being held-soil alternate ? “What‘ to get fori the 'R" : question,.which' is\ always- ctepmnf 1 , iote momts, aqd now. thAfrJlie * son is" approaching, it become*' ' portaht ;perhap*; for somethmf. ; v te die 'At r C/Smith’s;ii«., yotfll find dll ren’s clothing need* catered fop—wq-Wr* stocks of cosy/cqmforteble gennMU^thet prices, Bripg- .the. children v along--'e»d satisfy their .clothing requireew^