MAINTENANCE ARREARS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 2 September 1919, Page 4

MAINTENANCE ARREARS

AN INTERESTING POINT.

(BY TELEGIIAPH —;PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Sep. 1. The ruling given by jy.fr K. Page, S.M., regarding the recovery of arrears in respect to maintenance orders may bring relief to the troubled minds of many who have found it necessary to invoke the assistance of the Magistrate's Court to obtain from unwilling breadwinners the wherewithal to purchase the necessities of life. The question was brought up by Mr G. G. Watson, who appeared for the wife of a man who had been charged with falling into arrears to the extent of £4,. but who had at the last moment paid that amount into court, and thereby cleared himself. As far as that information was concerned. Mr Watson's point was that, according to a previous ruling, defendant could be charged: only in respect of arrears up to the date of fourteen days prior to the issue of the summons, whereas he submitted that under the Act any person! defaulting for any period-^of four tee li days was liable to a fine of £50 or six months'" imprisonment. In the case in point, defendant was actually still. £3 in arrears, and the only course open to the wife was to take out a further summons for that amount. Mr Page agreed ."with the contention ;. and said it would be in order for counsel to specify the arrears up to date, and the Court would have jurisdiction to deal with the matter in full He did not consider it would be necessary to have the informationer. a_raended, for defendants would be liable to a penalty if they defaulted for fourteen days. i