BENEFIT FROM STATE

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 114, 10 April 1930, Page 11

BENEFIT FROM STATE

CASE AT HAMILTON. Per Press Association. HAMILTON, April 9. . If I were to grant this application it would be an inducement for wives to leave their husbands and live with paramours, and then seek provision under the will of their husbands who had committed suicide by reason of their wives’ misconduct. In these words Mr Justice Smith to-day refused an application by Beatrice Mary Jane Slater, who resides at Hamilton, for consideration under the will of tier late husband, Arthur Samuel Slater. On June 14 last Slater committed suicide ut Tepopo, Taranaki. He and his wife had been married for 20 years and had reared eight children. In November, 1928, lvis wife left him and subsequently admitted adultery with one Macken at Frankton, where she stayed. She still lives with Macken. The husband had tried to. get her to return and had left Taranaki and bought a farm at Morrinsville. He then saw a letter written by his wife to her daughter in which the writer said, she would find it difficult to return. In his will, made in April of last year, the husband completely disinherited the wife, leaving an estate valued at over £2OOO to his eight children.Mr do la Mere, for the Public Trustee, who opposed the application, said that a series of letters written by the wife to Macken prior to the discovery of adultery at Frankton showed that there had been continuous misconduct, which, in fact, continued to this day. In refusing the application, His Honour told the woman that she should apply to her paramour for assistance. Her conduct clearly was a bar to varying the will.