SOLDIER AND HIS WIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18564, 23 November 1923, Page 10

SOLDIER AND HIS WIFE.

ALLEGED BROKEN PROMISE.

DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS.

[BY. TELEGRAPH. — ASSOCIATION.] BLENEJfcIM. Thursday. A, novel motion was made before Mr. Justice Reed in- the Supreme Court to-

day, in the preliminary divorce proceedings between Albert Bassett, of Blenheim, 4 arid Lilian Bassett,. who; is believed to be now resident in England. The application was made-for leave to make substituted : service on Mrs. Bassett of a formal demand- for the restitution of conjugal 'rights.- 1 "'*'' •■- '_ .'.;,_, ' ;: Mr. A. E. L. Seantlebury, for the applicant, said that Bassett married an English girl while .on active service at Home, but owing to the state of her health she was unable to accompany him to New Zealand- when he was ordered back. She promised .'■ that she would follow him. and he arranged for her, passage through the High Commissioner, but she had not come. A ' large number -of letter* had passed between the parties, but the applicant had not heard from his wife since October of last year. A preliminary demand for the restitution of conjugal rights hade been : sent, by registered post; to "her last .address, and had been, returned .through the Dead Letter office. The object %of i ; the application . was .to t , enable the demand to be ;served upon ; her, either by, advertisement or ■in conjunction with a notice served on the relatives. v. His Honor said as the matter had not previously been decided in New Zealand he would give it careful consideration, -and he would deliver his decision in writing. He indicated "that if it, could be shown that applicant, in | letters ;to his wife, .. had 'made a request that she should come to him, and her replies showed that she had received the request, he might hold that a . sufficient demand s had been made, thus enabling the applicant . to take further legal steps' at once. '-~ -