The Sunderland Troubles.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 263, 15 November 1901, Page 2

The Sunderland Troubles.

t CASE AGAIN* BEFORE THE COURT j Papkiw to hand by tho mail from London record the regrettable fact that the | Sunderland troubles have again been bofore tho Court. The following is a roport of tho hearing of an application by John William Sunderland, Tarn Cottage, Ulverstonc, Lancashire, for a variation to " be made of a separation order of tho J. Court granted on May Bth last, which provided for an allowance of 80s a week to his wife, Agnes Hetla Sunderland, of Cliurcliill Cottage, Midhurst, Sussex, who was also given custody of two of tho children. Mr Randolph, who supported the application, said applicant, after retiring from the navy as an ofliccr, became a sheepowner in New Zealand. Getting into 3 financial difficulties in 1895, a deed of 2 trust was made under which his sister, ' Mrs Reynolds, of New Zealand, assumed the management of the estate in trust to • pay oil' certain liabilities, leaving his own t income at something between £7O and t .£l-10. Tho order, be said, was based on s the idea that applicant had an incomo of 1 £2OO a year. He then proceeded to show 3 that through the low price realised for i Australian wool and other causes, his 1 client was not getting anything like this t amount. Tlio price of wool had never ■ been so low as it is now, and the value of carcases had not gono up, as she had expected. Applicant’s sister, Edith Ann Lucy Reynolds, who Hails from New Zealand, 1 said it was now estimated that applicant’s surplus from his farm at Niagara, New Zealand, would in future bo £l2O to £l4O over and above his expenditure, aud as ’ there was an overdraft of £IOO at the bank to be paid, next year lie might not receive ’ more than £2O. Her husband had allowed ( applicant £llO a year, but this had now been stopped. In reply to Mr Wareham, witness said tho carcases had not fetched so much for many years, which, to some extent, compensated for the fall in tho receipts for wool. Niagara—some 1600 acres, was his. They had been offered £I2OO for it. Owing to depression in trade, she feared she would have to discontinue her allowance to him of £IOO from her privato purse, which would reduce his not income to £2O. She could not say how ho would live under the circumstances, but expected ho would go to live with her in New Zealand. She did not know that tho wife worked day and night to support herself and children. The strained relationship existing between the wife and herself was duo to tho former's conduct in refusing to stay in New Zealand with her husband, although witness’s brother offered to settle £IOOO upon her and the children if she would. Afterwards, when he camo to England to her, she would not- resume cohabitation- for expediency’s, sake. Applicant said he had property at Penrith consisting of 100 acres, and which brought in a rental of £IOO a year. Tho property was, however, mortgaged for £2OOO at 4 per cent., and £OOO at 5 per cent., so that tho rent just about covered the interest on the mortgage. The rent of Tarn Cottage, in which he resided, was £32 10s. With reference to trying to get work, he said it was almost impossible for a man of his age, 00, to get work. The Chairman said if his wife’s health broke down, and she could no longer earn money, he would become responsible to the Poor Law authorities for hers and the children’s maintenance, and if he failed in supporting them he could be sent to prison. He did not know that the law imposed on a woman the necessity to labor at all. Mr Randolph submitted that his client had not sufficient income to justify his paying £7B a year, as required by the order of the Court. The Chairman said, to put it brutally, if either party had to come to begging, it was better that a halo and hearty man should do it in preference to a woman. If other means failed, it was his duty to sell his estate and provide for his wife and children.

The magistrates having retired to confer, on their return into the Court, Mr Meates said: Wo have come to the conclusion that, having regard to defendant's own admission that ho has £I2OO of property unencumbered, for a wife, having two children to bring up in the station of life which theso people, fill, to ask for 30s a week is not excessive, and we are not satisfied that there is any reason why wo should vary the order we made in May. The application will, therefore, be refused, and we shall allow tho wife throe guineas costs.

Mr Randolph : Do I understand that you wish this gentleman to sell his farm, and expend the proceeds on his wife ? If he does, when the money is gone she will have nothing, Mr Giles : We shall leave you to advise him as to the course he should take.