Should Maintenance Be Paid To Deserting Wife?

Chronicle (Levin), 17 December 1949, Page 5

Should Maintenance Be Paid To Deserting Wife?

AUCKLAND, Dec. 16. Disagreoment with the policy of not paying maintenance to a wife who it'uves hoine against her husband s w'ishes was expressed bv Alr Justice Glanton in the Supreme Court in an ap-pli'-ation by a husband who sought the rt'tiun of iiis wife. It was stated that uetitioner was not paying her mainifjiance. and his eounsel indicated that 1 1: is policy had been foll'owed on his adviee. ' The wife. went to Melbourne on holidav with her hnsband 's consent, but nad since refused to retum. "There are possiblv differing views on this question, and it no doubt . depcuds on the circumstances, " said his Ibmour, "but personally I think willingness on a man's part to help his wife finaneially will go fatlier towards briuging about a reconciliation than anvthing else. " Alr Justice Callan has several times xjiressed himself in the Supremo Dourt in Auckland as being against the pavmont of maintenance to a deserting uife. When an applieation by the husband, who was paying his wife who had left. him £3 10s a week, came beforo him in Otober he adjourned the case and advised petitioner to stop paying maintenance. " You should help your.vlf by trying the economic way," "I will not deal with this case."