HUSBANDS AND WIVES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2516, 20 December 1927, Page 3

HUSBANDS AND WIVES.

UNLUCKY AND ERRING MEN. Alimony clubs are getting popular among American ex-husbands. They are a defensive organisation, designed to protect unfortunate and erring busbands against wliat they describe as the gold-digger class of wives. The organisation originated in Hollywood and Los Angeles, where there are more ex-husbands and ex-wives to the square mile than in any community in the world, with the possible exception of Reno, Nevada, in the height of the divorce season. The Alimony Payers’ Protective Association of New York held a meeting recently, to arouse enthusiasm among its kind, with the view of having the whole question of ex-husband rights determined by the State Legislature. The platform of the organisation was stated briefly by the best-known of the members of the cult, John G. Gasterger, who said, “I’ve been called an alimony-dodger, an anti-alimony hound and other things too numerous to mention. I have failed three times, given out £2400, been indicted twice, and have spent 11 months in gaol. Yet I do believe in alimony, when it is deserving.” Mr E. Epstein, a lawyer, protested against a law that provided that an ex-lnisband should go on paying) alimony even while lie was in gaol for previous non-payments. He urged, that greater proof be demanded in marital complaints. An alimony defaulter recently paid his wife £l7 at the Court’s order. As the husband! was leaving the Court, bis wife dealt him a stinging blow on the cheek with the flat of her heavy purse. The Court took the money back from her, and gave it to the husband.