ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1809, 23 July 1913, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT.

THE DEPENDENCY OF A WIDOW.

ENGINEER & JIIS WIFE. Mr. Justice Sim sat in the Court of Arbitration yesterday for the purpofe of hearing argument in the case of the Public Trustee v. M'Mahon and I/ee, a claim of .£SOO compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act, 1908. Mr. J. W. .Macdonald (solicitor to tho Public Trust Office) appeared for tho Public Trustee, while Mr. M. Myers appeared for M'Mahon ami Lee.

The Public Trustee's part in tins action was as administrator of the estate of George Roberts, deceased engineer, late ot' Inangahua Junction. Deccas-ed had been employed as an engineer on Jl'Mahon and Leo's dredge, and was accidentally killed on Jlnrch 18, 1912. He was a married man, ami had three children, of whom two wore living and in the Army. His widow nbn survived. On_ November 12, 18i)2, lie left England for New Zealand as an electrical engineer on the Tongariro. and he never returned to his wife and family. After his dentil, Mrs. Uoberts gave evidence in Rngliml. She Mated that -lie expected her hu>b:md back on the return journey nf the steamer, and actually weut to mMt bioi. He wroto aud protnisod to return

to England, but failed to do so. From tho time of his departure, from England up to the time of his d«uth, he contributed nothing whatever to the support of his wife and children. Mrs. Roberts maintained herself and the two children by her own efforts. What the Court had to decide was whether, undor Section -I of tho Workers' Compensation Amondment Act, 1911, Mrs. Roberts was to he deemed totally dependent on the deceased. Decision was reserved.