A MAINTENANCE CASE.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13055, 15 March 1911, Page 4

A MAINTENANCE CASE.

&aB fall thbough deinK:

(Special,tb 'iTlio bbMlsV.") > > ~ fehrishShurchj Mar£li i 4. At the Magistrate's Court to-day John Mac Donald Eth ridge was charged upon the. i«formation"of ihi's father-in-law, ObftHps C'cM'nCdrUifi With failing to adequately support his wife and children. The- wife also applied for a separation order for herself and the custodyof the children. ■ Mr Beswie!^ for the complainant, Baitlihe parties had been married in 1901, and there had been throe children of the,marriage, the eldest being eight years of age, and defendant, wild was at present working in Nelson., had only^eirtiJilf) 10s for tile maiiiAeiianca of Ills wife and children, who were living in Lyttelton, since December 8 last, though he had been earning good money. The mil object, however, of the wifo was to get maintenance. She would not press for a separation or the guardianship of the children. Though the man was a drunkard ho had not ill-used his wife, ajid the wife, was too ill to attend the Court.

Complainant gave a long and sad recital of defendant's fall, through drink, from the position of second officer on a Union Steamship Company's boat to his present occupation of a labourer on the Nelson wharves. He had been given chance after chance but had abused them all, and finally had had his marine certificate suspended for twelve* months for allowing a craft he was in charge of to go ashore. He had also been recently convicted and fined £25 for sly grog soiling. Mr Donnelly^ who appeared for defendant, a. respectable "looking young man, said he had been paying off the £25 fine at the rate of £la week. Ho was also paying off at the rate of 7s 6d a week, the costs, £12. of the inquiry into the wreck of the boat over which he had had his certificate suspended. Ho had for the last six months, however, been working on the Nelson wharves as an ordinary labourer at 9s per day, and he had good hopo, for believing that his certificate would shortly be returned to him. He would have paid the fines off in two months' time, and then would be able to contribute more tdwards the, support of his wife than he had. Out of a wage of £10 a month he had to pay £5 10s to the Court off his fines, and even then ho had managed to send his wife £16 10s since December 8 last. He had asked his wife to live with him at Nelson, but she had refused. Ho had another £4 to send her last week but he had to pay his passage to Cliristclnirch to attend thai Court proceedings. After hearing the evidence his Worship said it wofdd bo impossible to make an order as the man would simply have to go to gaol. The best way would be to gjrant an adjournment, ho in thci meantime to communicate with the Magistrate at Nelson to see if he would reduce' the weekly Court payments defendant had to meet. If the Nelson Magistrate! refused he (Mr Bishop) suggested to Mr Beswick that the wife withdraw the proceedings until the amount of the fine, etc., was paid off.

Mr Beswick agreed to his Worship's suggestion, and the caso was accordingly adjourned for six weeks.