THE SUNDERED HOMES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1767, 4 June 1913, Page 8

THE SUNDERED HOMES.

IN NEW ZEALAND,

SOME MELANCHOLY CAUSES. (By Telegraph— Special Correspondent.) Christchurch, Juno 3. Following on some comments in the Wellington Supreme Court on the speedy desertion of wives by their husbands, a "Press" reporter been Becking- the opinions of some who may be regarded as having a good knowledge on tho subject. Mr. 11. \\ r . Bishop, K.M., said that certainly desertions are increasing in ilumber, and there is a weakening in appreciation of the responsibilities of marriage. A gentleman who had watched tho Courts as a journalist and as a solicitor for between twenty ami thirty years, ?aid tint cases of desertion at tho church door fiad eomo to his knowledge. They were affairs in which, a despicable person had inveigled another into tho marriago state with 110 intend to accept its obligations. Usually, however, desertion, (or its equivalent) came after a number of years, when tho increasing number of children, combined with the poverty of the homo and tho incompatibility of tho parties, made lifo unbearable. Thero was less of tho old willingness to accept things as they were. Our system of education should have helped to make tho people moro moral, but most emphatically it had not. Tho sexes no longer respecte<l cach other, (is they should, and as they used to, and broken marriages followed on the lock of mental and moral stamina.

A police officer of experience said that cases of speedy desertion, were not infrequent. Traced to their sourco. they usually showed that there was a reasondrunkenness, misstatement of means, misstatement of affairs, lack of knowlcdgo, or (most often) "the marriage oi convenience." Always thero was something peculiar about it, either on tho part ol' tho man or tho woman. Often tha parents had forced tho girl into the marriage. Miss Cardalo (socretary of the Coal and Blanket Fund), whose duties bring her into close contact with many such cases, says that they follow usually after some years,' when children come, and the pinch of things is more keenly felt. And in visiting these homes I have told tho womenfolk, time and again, that it is no wonder that their husbands drink or otherwise misbehave if they aro too elovonly to run tho household properly. I liavo seen beds unmade and the wash-ing-up not done at 5.30 in tha evening. The socretary of tho North Canterbury Hospital and Charitablo Aid Board said that the matter which the board had urged upon tho Government was that it, and not the wife herself, who had seldom any pennies, who should be responsible for the bringing back of deserters from Australia. Usually tho cost was from .£2O to <£25, which was much beyond tho woman s moans. In his experience he had come across many oases in which reconciliation liad followed such Teturus. There were at present between twenty and twenty-five cases of deserted families who were receiving help from the board.