MAINTENANCE ORDER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21102, 12 August 1930, Page 13

MAINTENANCE ORDER.

HUSBAND WHO WENT TO NEW ZEALAND. TWO LETTERS IN 29 YEARS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, June 27. That she had not seen her husband for 29 years and that he had written to her only twice during that time was stated by Mrs Emmiliue Mary Edwards, of' 76 King Edward’s road, South Hackney, who applied to the North London magistrate on June' 20 for an order under the Summary Jurisdiction (Married Women) Act, 1895, and the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act, 1920, against her husband, John Robert Edwards, now residing at Fielding.The applicant stated that they were married in December, 1898, at St. Anne’s .Whitechapel Her husband was a ship's carpenter, and she last saw him 29 years ago when he left her to go to New Zealand. , He told her he was going to leave the ship ait Auckland and start work in New Zealand. She thought he was going gold dredging, but later he told her that he was in business as a building contractor. He had not sent her. any money since he left home, and he said the business had failed and he. was bankrupt. HER HEALTH FAILING. She last received a letter from him in 1903, but her son had a letter from him six years ago. She and her son had written to the address given by the registrar, but her husband had not replied. Her son then communicated with the New Zealand police, and she produced a letter from an inspector stating that the tespondspondent was living at Feilding and was in business, as a builder, and earning £l6O a year. Her son, aged nearly 30 years, was now married. Her health was failing, she was 56 years of age, and was now only able to earn, on an average, 12s a week as a mantle machinist. The applicant produced,a photograph (the only one she had) of her husband and herself, taken when they were courting and she was 19 years of age. - She consented to its being sent to New Zealand with the documents. The magistrate (Mr Bertrand Watson) made a provisional order for 15s a week, which-will have to be confirmed in New Zealand.