DIVORCE AMENDMENT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 311, 25 September 1920, Page 8

DIVORCE AMENDMENT

RESTITUTION OF CONJUGAL RIGHTS BILL PASSED BY THE COUNCIL . the Hon. J. MacGregor's Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Bill, which proposes to revive the provision that disobedionce of an order for restitution of conjugal rights may lb a ground ot divorce, was yesterday considered in Committee by the Legislative Council. The Hon. W. H. Triggs wag afraid the Bill might make it easier for parties to

obtain a divorce by collusion. E[i> thought that soim time should be required to elapse between the time of disobedience of an order and tbfe institution of divorce proceedings. \ Mr; MacGregor replied that it did not seem reasonable to require parties to livo together for thrfjj years, two years, or ' even one year when their relations were such as they would be if an order of the kind referred to was disobeyed. It should ba remembered that thb law at present provided for diyorce on account of a single act—the act of adultery. TJndw the conditions suggested t'\;rc would be an inducement for one of tlfoi parties to commit adultery in order to'escape from tho ..necessity for living with the other narty. In addition to th,« provision already mentioned, the' Bill contains another to the effect that the Court may make a decree of dissolution of marriage where parties have bfeen legally separated for not less than three years. A new clause inserted upon the suggestion of the Statutes Revision Committee so am/>nds a section of thte principal Act as to ensure that the Court may exercise i.ici discretion in dealine with, applications for orders for the restitution of conjugal rights. The Bill was reported without any ?1toiatioii wortK noting. It was Tead a tnird time find passed. THE HIGH CeinSSIONER'S OFFICE AN IMMIGRANT WHO WAS LOST. A letter read by Mr. G., : Witty (Riccarton) in tho House of Representatives yesterday stated that an experienced British farmer, with: a family of nine, nnd a sum of about *£5000 in cash, had visited tho High Commissioner's office in london with ths idea of coming to New Zealand. He had encountered n' clcrfc who seemed to know nothing about the Dominion, and who'could give him no useful advice. The man proceeded to AusHouifc, where 'a smart young "Aussie" interested him at orice and persuaded him to go to the SnrUiur Downs. Mr. Wittv proceded to urge , that tho staff of the High Commissioner's office should consist entirely of N|iw Zea'landers, who should not sorve in London for more than three years at a time. Every man in the office ought to have an intimate nersonal knowledge of the country he represented. COURMRTIAL MR, WILFORD SiTGGTSTS DISSATISFACTION. A feeling was abroad, said Mr. T; M. Wilford (Hutt). that the conduct of courts-martial in New Zealand was not satisfactory. Two' brothers had ken tried by nourt-martia.l in I'almerston .North. ,On ß brother had -got off and the other had been sentenced to a term of imprisonment. I'ho Jiutee Advocate-Gen-eral saw the papers ami found, that, to' p.ut it mildly, the rsentonco would not hold. He quashed the proceedings and ordered the man's release.' This was a very serious matter, and the' .Minister ought to look into tho whole question and make up his mind whether or not the work of the courts-martial. was satisfactory. DEFENCE~ORGANISATION COMPLAINT OF OVER-STAFFING. "The Staff Corps is too large, and .therefore too costly," ?aid Mr. 'T. M. Wilford (Hutt) in the House of Representatives yesterday, in the course of some comments, on defence organisation. He considered that tho Headquarters Staff of the Defence Department had been organised on an extravagant scale. Be h«d no personal reflections to make, but he thought the Government should realise that a good soldier was net necessarily a good administrator. The Headquart-. ers Staff of the Wellington district in 1911 had consisted . of one colonel commanding, one lieutenantcolonel, two brigade-majors, and two captains. The'present staff included "0110 colonel commanding, one lieutcn ant-col-onel. one major, two captains, three lieutenants, and two honorary lieutenants. Ho suggested that tho "increased staff was not fully employed. A sul>stantial saving could ho effected by givine increased duties to Territorial officers. who could bo paid small salaries for the performance of military duties. 110 had noticcd that tho dress regulations had been altered recently so as to make staff officers less conspicuous. The proper course was to keep tho officers in nniform, but to make them less numerous. THE TRAINING SHIP SAILORS WHO NEVER GO TO SEA. "Sixty boys aro being trained a? sailers on board tho Amokura in Wellington harbour, and none of them has ever been to sea," said Mr. A. Harris (Wailenmta) in the House of Representatives. "Tho bovs cannot get a ship when they completer their training, because they have never been out of the harbour." jrr. Harris suggested that tho training should bo given aboard a serviceable steamer jvhich could pay its own way by trading to tho Pacific Islands or even further afield. Such a ship would require to carry a full crew, in addition to the boys, but it would bo ablo to provide sound training, and at tho same time to help New Zealand by carrying coal, caso oil, nitrate, and copra. LEGISLATIvfcoiciL BILL A further postponement of the second reading ■' debate upon tho Legislative Council Amendment Bill was made yesterday on the suggestion of Sir Francis hell, who said that Cabinet had not yet considered the resolution recently I passed by tho Council, but would probably have done so by, Tuesday next. 1