AN ABANDONED WOMAN.

NZ Truth, Issue 118, 21 September 1907, Page 6

AN ABANDONED WOMAN.

Hubby Has

to Keep Her.

When a woman becomes a prostitute should her husband pay for maintenance ? We should say no, but the law says yes with much reluctance. Why should the Law reluct at all ? WQiv shouldn't the Law open out its cavernous jaws and say that the harlot- should be no longer recogoiseul by her husband, and that if she spoils not, and dees not do anything e'ise she should be worthy of recognition or otherwise. For plenty of women who have to work hard, have either to work hard— or else have been abandoned— perhaps by the base individuals. Laura Mary Chaffey. of Christchurch didn't become a prostitute m the ordinary way ; she just developed from what she had been— a barmaid. Yet some of the best women of Maoriland to-day are girls behind the bar. She was married to an engineer of the name of Chaffey, at Kumara, four or five years ago, but it was

A NO-CLASS MATCH, and she went off first, and got there with remarkable alacrity. They separated, and she went to live with a girl named McCullv, with whom she kept a drum. There were any number of gents who came round to keep this low-down place, and she did all right. But, apparently, after she had been fined for keeping a brothel m Moorhouse-avenue, Ohristohuroh, business fell off tomething considerably. She had been watched, and didn't want too much, so she shifted. But she had a husband. And why shouldn't he pay for her. maintenance; the poor, misguided husband. So he was brought to •his knees m the Magistrate's Court, and ordered to pay 15s a week— with great reluctance, said the Magistrate, who" didn't allow any costs. Fancy paying /fpr the maintenance of a harlot !