NATURAL RIGHTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 29, 29 October 1918, Page 6

NATURAL RIGHTS

Sir,—The hearing of e recent, ivill ease opens up a, question of importance lor returned, and especially for absent, sodiers. As the law stands at present a man is at liberty to disinherit his sons; and this privilege is sometimes exorcised for extraordinary reasons. Two ..cases have come under my notice, recently in which 'returned soldiers aro concerned. In one case a young,man went away to tho front as a volunteer in 1915. In 1917 his father died; and thi soldier, while fighting in France, received tile news that he had been 'disinherited. He has recently been invalided home to find the property that should have been his by natural right in the possession of his brother-in-law. There is more than a touch'of, irony in the circumstance that compels a young man to shed his blooa for the Empire, and yet leaves his share of the Empire—or what should be his share—to the whim of an old man in his dotage, and to family greed and intrigue. Our young men are giving their lives to put down Prussian autocracy, and yet right here in New Zealand some of them have to submit to autocracy in this deplorable' form. The law at present places too high a value on the last will and testament, especially in the caso where the testator leaves' a:family In his case too much respect is paid to right, while duty is almost ignored. Tho linking of duty with right is a sound ethical and legislative principle. Our young men lave- been compelled to do their duty-ami for a large majority compulsion was unnecessary. Let us see to it that they get their natural rights. Where a man lias sons and daughters the legal presumption should be that they aro to got equal, shares. And if a will is-made leaving unequal .shares, or disinheriting a cliild to the benefit of an outsider, then the person unduly benefiting by the will should- be coittpelled to prove his right to do so. If he fails to prove such a right tho will should bo set aside. This would be a _niuch sounder and more democratic principle than wlint obtains at present. If it were in operotion the .pettiness of maiiy wills, the greedy intrigue and undue influence that are often brought to bear on old people while in a fecWe-imnded condition, would be kept in its proper place. lam quite convinced that something of this sort is necessary as a war measure. We have laid it down ns a principle that the ronn? man must not shirk and Hint profiteering must bo supnresspd. Tt is "P to Hie Parliament of this country to see that not one lad snal siiffw nt Hip hands of Hip shirker and profiteer Hint T have imiip.-ifwl. Un:e-* ■rohip alteration is made in the law ns it stands at present, and mndp restrospective for the war period, rprtnin returned soldiers aro going, to suffer wrong. It is up f-o Hi? Government to foe Hint the lad vho defends Hip count/v with his i very Hfe gets his natural rights.—l urn. ctC " * V. L. SIMPSON. October 24.