INTERESTING POINT

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160732, 19 August 1920, Page 3

INTERESTING POINT

APPLICATION eOR EXTRADITION WARRANT. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON,-August 18, When tho Manuka arrived at Wellington on her last trip from Sydney, Detective Torrence arrested a young man named Robert M. Ross on a provisional warrant charging him with having descried his wife and child at Sydney and leaving them without adequate means of support, and, after a remand to allow a New South Wales police -escort to arrive, the case was again called at the Magistrate’s Court before Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., to-day. Mr A. B. Sievwxight, for the defence, opposed the granting of an order for extradition of the man to Australia on points of law, and on account of the fact that the man, who was living apart from his wife, had already made adequate provision, consisting of ,£2 per week alimony and £1 2s Cd per week military pension. Moreover, Ross had still to collect £ 1-1-0 as war gratuity, and if he failed to return that sum would, by law, be handed to his wife. He maintained there was no proof that the Justice of tho Peace who .signed the warrant produced by the escort had the necessary authority to do so. On law points, counsel contended that the application should be dismissed on the ground that the case was of a trivial nature, that tho carrying out of the cider would be unjust and -oppressive, and that the application was not made in good faith. He had communicated with accused’s agent in Sydney as to the payment of instalments to the wife, and had received a. cabled answer “Paid.” The Magistrate said it might he that, the whole case Was unfortunate as far as defendant was concerned, for he might be able to satisfy the New South Wales Court that he had made adequate provision for his wife and child, but that matter was beyond the province of the Wellington Court, which was concerned with extradition alone. The application would be granted. Counsel intimated that lie would appeal to the Supremo Court against the decision, and applied for bail pending hearing of the appeal. The amount was fixed at ,£IOO, with sureties of a like amount.