UNUSUAL MAINTENANCE ORDER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 75

UNUSUAL MAINTENANCE ORDER.

ONE PENNY PER WEEK.

WELLINGTON, February 27. Probably the smallest maintenance order ever made against the father of an illegitimate child in any part of the English speaking world was made by Mr J. H. . Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Coin to-day, when a young Greek, named Mancholie Andanaris, was ordered to pay a married woman, named Daisy Monse* tyos, the sum of one penny per week for the upkeep of her child. It was stated in evidence that the mother, in ignorance of the law, had agreed to a lump sum of £6O being paid her in lieu of 15s a week maintenance secured to her by a previous court order. She was afraid he would leave the country, and at that time she was about to marry her present husband. Mr Salmon said he did not think it was a lawful thing for complainant to have been given the £6O. when she was acting in ignorance of the law. It was not in the child’s interests that she should accept this small sum for its future upkeep when the father would have had to keep the child until it was 16 years of age. The £6O, however, which she had accepted would cover the 15s per week up till May, 1929. In the meantime there would be nothing to stop the defendant leaving the country, as the complainant’s acceptance of the money, in agreeing to settle the whole affair, had done away with the past order. However, so that Andanaris would not be able to leave New Zealand, the court would now make an order for one penny per week in the mother’s favour. Although the order was for a very small amount it would stop the defendant from going out of the country. When tlie £6O had all been used up by May of next year the court would review the matter of future maintenance.