BURDEN ON STATE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 3 June 1926, Page 7

BURDEN ON STATE.

WOMAN’S STX OFFSPRING. LEGACY EARMARKED. By Tol-wr.-mii—-Vi-e-s A-soclatton CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 2. Coining to the conclusion that a woman’s six illegimate children will, by the time they are all in a position to support themselves, have cost the State £1520, the Education Department, through the police, proceeded against the. mother in the Magistrate's Court for an order against her to bo paid from a legacy which the woman is to receive, at some future date, to pay the cost of their present maintenance. Mr H. A. Young was on the Bench. The eldest child was committed to a receiving home in 1909, and was now self-supporting. In 1924 another was committed to the care of the State, but had become self-supporting since. In October, 1921, ilnoe more children were committed to a Christchurch receiving ~|id Am-,’ +''■•) time another had been born, which would become a charge on the State. Defendant’s mlotlier was left a life interest in £4OOO, and had contributed to the support of the chi'dron. having alrriulv paid the Education Department £360. After her death a share of this estate, some £SOO or £6OO would go to defendant, and the Education Department asked that an order should bo mado against defendant for some portion of the monov which would come to her. It had already cost, the State, £575 to support defendant’s children, and it was estimated that a further £950 would be spent before thov were in a position to support- themselves. Tho Magistrate said that dofemb’nt’s children would have cost the State about £ISOO by the time they were self-supporting. He thought that some of the money coming to her should be earmarked so that the children would not continue to be a, burden on the public purse. An order was made aeeordimdy that the defendant sliou’d pav £1 each for the maintenance of two children, and 11s a week for a third; a total of £2 13s. The Magistrate said that be did not exnr-et that defendant should pay the .eh”vires at present, hut arrears cnuhl he deducted from her legacy when it came to hand.