EX-CABINET MINISTER'S DOMESTIC WOES

NZ Truth, Issue 1174, 31 May 1928, Page 5

EX-CABINET MINISTER'S DOMESTIC WOES

Fisher's History

Returning Soon ?

Politician Francis Fisher Is Divorced By Wife

TENNIS CHAMP. A FAILURE IN DOUBLE HARNESS (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.) A man of many parts is Francis Marion Bates Fisher, who has won fame, m modest proportions, m various walks of life. Time was when this versatile New Zealander gloried m the title of Cabinet Minister m the Reform Government before the war.

BUT when the electors decided at the 1914 election that they had seen enough of F. M. B. Fisher and gave him his walking ticket, he was somewhat peeved. Shortly afterwards he shook the dust of this country from his feet and went to England. He has been there ever, since. Occasionally, liis name figured m the cables as a big noise m tennis circles, but fora "crust" Fisher blossomed out as a financier— and has done fairly well from all accounts. Quite a creditable achievement for a man said to have no definite profession or occupation. In fact, ne is ready to go anywhere, where his talents can be- utilized. Anywhere, that is, but back to his wife. In matrimony Fisher did not enjoy the success that attended his other ventures and he filed a suit for divorce. He was 'not to have tWe last word, however. With true feminine tradition, his wife, Elsie Alice, got m with' a cross-petition and the decreeTiisi was awarded to her. Although he was m first, Fisher did not proceed on his petition. As the grounds for both suits were mutual separation, it did not matter much which side told the tale. ■ Those who expected that the case would afford some interesting sidelights on the domestic lives of two former society big-wigs m Wellington were doomed to disappointment.

In the first place, bofth Fisher and his wife were absent when the case was called before Judge Adams at Christ 7 church last week. • Evidence had been taken on commission m England — and what there was of it was extremely, matter-of-fact. The whole question m dispute was that of domicile. It was held that as Fisher meant to return to New Zealand, the land of his birth, when his finances had improved, he was domiciled here. And as the law decrees that the domicile of the wife is the same as the husband's, there was no doubt on that score m the cross-petition. Fisher's history is a remarkable one. He was born m Wellington m 1877 and lived m the Dominion until he departed for England m 1915. A good talker, he was attracted to politics quite early m life and so convincing, was he m his campaign that he managed to win. his way into the House. There he rapidly made headway ana m due course blossomed out as a Cabinet Minister under the Reform regime. Just when the rift m the lute occurred m his married life is not known, but after the electors had given him his walking ticket in' 1914, F. M. B. Fisher, rather- ruffled — said counsel — to think that he should have been unseated, packed his grip and left for England. Strange to say, the name of Mrs. Fisher was not on the passenger list when Fisher set sail. Just what he was going to do imnmmiiiimuiimmiiiiiiiiiiiitiiimiimiiiiiimiimimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiim»

when he reached. England, Fisher himself did not know. He had no definite profession or occupation — politics being the game he knew most about— and he could hardly have anticipated winning a seat m the House of Commons, although he was not lacking m plenty of self-assurance. As it happened, there was a war on when he went Home. F.M.B. lost no

time m placing his services at the disposal of the authorities. They. were accepted m "an important capacity" and Fisher got down to. tinj tacks, doing such good work that he won the plaudits of "the heads" with whom he had to deal.. i . .

Having rather a flair for finance, the ex-Cabinet Minister managed to acquire the. directorship of a financial

concern m London. From all accounts, N he did very well at the job. But, meanwhile, m New Zealand, Mrs. Fisher was wondering what the position was and how her marriage with the versatile Francis was going to pan out. Correspondence passed regularly between them. Would they or would they not live together again? That was the big question that built up a mountain of correspondence between husband and wife. On his part; Fisher had no desire to get back into double-harness; on the other hand, Mrs. Fisher had no intention of being "divorced by Fisher if she could help it. Not that he had suggested it. She was very anxious to join her husband m London. While F.M.B. cordially pointed out that she could live where she liked, he emphasized the fact that if she went to London he would "be strongly disinclined to live with her." And then, m February, 1920, the exMinister wrote stating that he was pre■pared to make heir an allowance of £400 per annum on condition that she did not live with him m England. It was not until August of the same year that Elsie Alice, agreeing to the terms, wrote and accepted the conditions laid down, "although she was extremely sorry he had made such a decision." , The same year, Mrs. Fisher went to England and from then up to the pres-

ent time her husband has maintained her. ' . ,

Such was the outline of the circumstances given by Lawyer A. T. Donnelly, who watched the case for Mrs. Fisher.

"In 1914," said counsel, "Fisher apparently secured the directorship of a financial concern m London; later on, through the kind offices of friends with Whom he had worked during the -war, he obtained another post which he is holding to-day. .' "His position, from the * evidence, showed that he was to some extent a financial adventurer, though I do not^ use the term m any offensive sense. .'in other words, he is quite willing to go anywhere where there is a field for his talents. The evidence shows that' he was director of the Imperial Commercial Association. . "He stated to the commission m England that he intends to return to New Zealand, as this is his home, but that his movements would depend upon his prospects. And thus was the brief tale of the matrimonial- troubles of the Fishers told. A "financial adventurer" who is "ready to go 'anywhere," Fisher had no desire to adventure into the path of reconciliation where his matrimonial affairs were concerned. Mrs. Fisher, it was said, did not want a. divorce at first, but whatever the real differences between them, both, are now free agents, F.M.B. to adventure where the fancy takes him— be it London or Timbuctoo. In fact, anywhere, as counsel put it to the judge, "where his talents can find a field." llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHllllMllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll