"LOAFING" HUSBANDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 63, 9 December 1918, Page 5

"LOAFING" HUSBANDS

i STATE LEGISLATION PROPOSED IN.-I AUSTRALIA. . ; Officials from the Melbourne Ladies* j Benevolent Society recently appealed to ; the Stats Treasurer iMr. MThereon) to' facilitato the passage through the State ; Parliament of a law making ft an of-1 fence for a husband not to support his j wife and fnmilv. The representatives or j the society sai'd that there was a dis-.' tinction between a husband who desert- \ cd his family and a husband who refus- i ed to work to support those who should i be dependent on him. The latter, was ; characterised as a "loafer" who escaped j the law. The State brought haok' de- ; serting husbands under arrest,' but • the j man who remained idle at homo wait*! ing for his wife and family to support 1 him could not at present be interfered j with under tho law. ; Mr.. M'Pherson said that he was in | entire sympathy with the objects of the ■ socioty. He would immediately have in- : quiries made in the various States ss to ! whether !#ws existed to deal with 'loaf- , ing" husbands. Belgium, where it waa , said an offectivo law had been passed, : would also' bo asked to forward details/ j and when Mio information was to hand,, lie would bo pleased to introduce a depu* ■ tntion representing tho various benovo- | lent societies to the Chief Secretary (Mr< • Bowser) with the request that a Bill j embodying the provisions of the Act in i other places should be introduced to the) ] Legislative Assombly as soon as possible. ;