DEFAULTING HUSBANDS.

Southland Times, Issue 14633, 25 January 1911, Page 5

DEFAULTING HUSBANDS.

PROPOSED RECIPROCITY. (Per United Press Association). DUNEDIN, January 24. Dr Findlay was questioned this evening in reference to a Melbourne cable (published in our local columns) which conveys an intimation that Mr Holman, Attorney-General for New South Wales, hoped as a result of a conversation with Dr Findlay to establish reciprocity regarding defaulting husbands. He stated that he had discussed the matter with Mr Holman when he was in New Zealand and he had readily expressed his willingness to endeavour to have reciprocal legislation contemplated by the New Zealand Destitute Persons Act placed upon the New Soutli Wales stat-ute-book. The provisions of our Act at present were wholly in favour of Australian States. They provided that husbands deserting their wives in Australia and coming to New Zealand could be proceeded against here upon a certificate of judgment obtained by a wife in one or other of the Australian courts. This would enable a deserted wife in New South Wales to lake proceedings there against her husband, who had deserted her and come to New Zealand, and obtain an order against him there without trouble or expense, and the order would then be seat oVer and filed in one of the courts here and be made the basis of a judgment against the defaulting nusband in New Zealand unless he could show that it should not have been made ,n New South Wales. “We put that on our statute book,” said Dx- Findlay, “with a view to reciprocal provisions being placed in the statute book in all Australian States, and I have already reason to believe that the reciprocal provisions will be made at the earliest convenient time. Mr Holman readily approved of our law.”