“GOLD-DIGGING WIVES”

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 September 1927, Page 3

“GOLD-DIGGING WIVES”

—J- • — HUSBANDS RISE IN REVOLT. “Gold-digging” ex-wives have led to the formation of an anti-Alimony League, an association of husbands which aims at the abolition of the law that allocates money to wives after separation or divorce. The banner of the league has been raised in Chicago, but branches are to be organised all over the world. One may be formed in London at an early date, and a mass meeting of husbands is being called, when an American member of the league will explain its work and objects. The idea of the league originated with a well-known Chicago business man who objected to paying his wife the substantial alimony granted by the Court. He called a “protest” meeting of ex-husbands, and found the response amazing. Thousands of lonely husbands rallied round to his call, all dissatisfied with the law governing the granting of alimony. The decision to form the league was carried unanimously and practically all present were enrolled on the spot; Since then the league has made remarkable strides. Fifteen thousand divorces are granted yearly in’ Chicago, and twice as many separations. Two-thirds of the wives concerned are granted alimony averaging £4 per week. Members of the league .estimate that their yearly payments to ex-wives amounts to something like £2,000,000. “It is absurd that a man should continue to foot the bill for a love that has run its couysp,” one of the prominent members the league said recently. “All the advantages of marriage are on the woman’s side,” he said. “Talk about the woman always paying—it is the man who pays not only before and during marriage, but after the tie has broken. . '■ •-

“Alimony gives unscrupulous wives an unfair advantage. Because, a man has made a mistake once why should he go on being penalised, working himself to death for a woman, he no longer loves?” The asssociation has the support of three of the leading divorce judges of Chicago, wlio daily try scores of divorce and separation cases. Alimony is declared by one judge to be as out of date as a horse and buggy. “It debauches the morale of society,” declares another, “and is frequently the weapon which selfish wives use to threaten their husbands.”

One of the first steps of the league has been to draw up a memorandum to the State Legislature protesting against the unfairness of the alimony law to husbands. . - • • It is also pointed out that wives nowadays are’ able to earn sufficient for their own maintenance, and that husbands should not be called upon to do more than pay for the upkeep and education of the children.

Since the league started thirty exhusband members have gone to gaol rather than pay alimony.