£27 BEHIND

NZ Truth, Issue 1200, 29 November 1928, Page 1

£27 BEHIND

MaintenanceJ^ebt CHILD SUPPORT (E^rom "N.Z. Truth's" Chi'istchurch Hep.) \ x | If Ida Emily Kitchen, a young | = single woman,, had made regular I | payments for the upkeep of her | ■=':■ c^iild, she would have been | |. spared the' burning indignity, of | ( | having the judicial spotlight | 1 ,focussed on her present mode' | | of living. , . | •Jiiuw:wmmmwmmwiMmw))))MuwiwMtiiiiwiMMiwwmumns QN March 31, 1924, Magistrate Bundle made an order at Dunedin for Kitchen to .pay the modest sum of two shillings, and .sixpence a week towards the support of. her child, but she fell into arrears, and last week, at Christchurch, she ; was called on to explain to Magistrate H. . P. Lawry why she had got nearly £27 behind. Though it was 'more than two years since, Ida had fulfilled her obligations' to her child and to the State, she tpld the 'court that she had been unable to contribute anything m that period. ' She had recently secured a position as a tall dress, for which she was receiving '25/- a week m wages. She told the 'magistrate that out of thla sum she had. to pay twelve shillings a week for a room, v Sub-inspector Fitzpatrick: Is it not a i fact that you are living as 1 his wife with a man m Chrlstchurch? I The young woman hung her * head i and made no reply. I ITie S.M. reminded Kitchen that she i had previously said that she had to k nay for her room, and the girl adhered ' to this statement with the remark that f she contributed towards the home. ' | SuD-inspector: Don't you think that you should help to maintain your child? You .are a. well-dressed young woman. Kitchen: . I don't think I am dressed anything ..put. of the ordinary.. You/assumed the name of Mrs. Harris to hide your identity. You are 'mown as . Mrs. Harris, aren't you?— Yes. ■■■•':• ".• ' ■ ■ Kitchen was given a reminder that k she must continue to support her child, , and iri addition pay 7/6 off arrears, otherwise the uninviting prison walls 1 will claim her for seven days. '