THE "OTHER WOMAN"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23603, 12 March 1940, Page 8

THE "OTHER WOMAN"

SOLDIER'S DEPENDANTS NEW LAW IN BRITAIN HARDSHIP FOR LEGAL WIFE [from our own correspondent] LONDON, Feb. 23 Here is a new law in action—the law that provides for allowances to be paid to the "unmarried wives" of -men in the forces. Ann Temple, in the Daily Mail, pointed to the dangers of this legislation. Here, now, is the first case in point, told in the Courts. Mrs. Georgina Faulkner is the wife of George Thomas Faulkner, corporal in the Royal Scots Greys. They have three children.

But for some years Faulkner has been living with another woman. She is the mother of two children. He supported his wife regularly up to last September. Then he was called up as a reservist and the payments ceased. But, by virtue of the new legislation, he was able to arrange an allowance for the "other woman" and her two children. She received £2 a week. Mrs. Faulkner sued her husband for failing to maintain her. The law, however, says that Faulkner was quite within his rights in claiming a dependant's allowance for his "unmarried wife" and children because he lived with and maintained her for a minimum of six months before joining up. The magistrate granted Mrs. Faulkner a maintenance order. But here another Army law, designed to protect the soldier, came into operation. He must retain, for his own use, a quarter of his pay. No deductions may be made which would reduce it below this amount. The magistrate, therefox-e, ordered the wife to be paid lis a week. He told her that, because of the law, it was the most she could have. So the "unmarried wife," with two children, gets £2 a week. The legal wife, with three children, gets lis a week. These facts were revealed in the "West London Police Court.