A PITIABLE CASE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6731, 28 February 1900, Page 4

A PITIABLE CASE.

* A maintenance case, presenting some painful features, was heard before the Stipendiary Magistrate at the dristchurch Court yesterday morning. An old woman was seeking to recover from her four sons arrears of payments on their separate orders, amounting in all to about £22. The defendants urged their inability to comply with the orders. Three of them were married and had families to support, and the most they averaged with their earnings was 30s a week. The' fourth son, who was unmarried, lived with his mother, and gave her what he cculd, but he was quite unable to keep up his payments under the order after paying for his board. r In answer to his Worship, the mother stated that she was two years under the age specified to receive the old age pension. She was reluctant to accept charitable aid, and had not thought she would ever- have to come to that. Finally, realising that . her sons all had a ha-d struggle to keep their owr. homes together, she offered to abandon the case and seek help elsewhere-^-perhaps the Government would do something for her. Mr Beet ham said he could not send ihe defendants to gaol for disobeying the orders, for that w«uld mean depriving their families of their breadwinners, and rendering them destitute. He reduced the orders in two of the cases, and then adjournel the four informations for two months, to enable the defendants to make an effort to reduce the arrears. He read them all a severe lecture on their duty to their parents, and in conclusion warned them that if, when they came up again, he had cause to think they were not trying to pay, it would be his duty, in spite of their wives and families to make an example of them. Before the old lady, left "the Court the members of the Bar present, together with the Magistrate and reporters, took up a collection at the instance of Mr Stringer, amounting to 22s which was presented to her to bay her arrears of rent, and to show her sons how they should treat their mother. The old lady left the Court murmuring her gratitude.