HER CALL ON TREASURY

NZ Truth, Issue 1179, 5 July 1928, Page 7

HER CALL ON TREASURY

She Wasn't Cut Out For Life As Apartment-house Lady

( From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) Just what caused the derailment of matrimonial happiness m the lives of Jane Harding and her ex-stationmaster hubby, William, lies deeply hidden from the inquisitive world. She just packed up and departed.

LATER, when discovery came tha treasury notes do not grow o ' telegraph posts, however, Jane decided that she was fully entitled to a few more than she was getting o the fourteen notes a week William was arinexing from the current circulation. Divorced m February this year by her husband on the grounds of desertion, the lady made an application ,t Judge MacGregor through her counsel, Lawyer Schramm, for permanent maintenance Her legal battler informed his honor that William had allowed his wife 30/per week before the decree w.as made Absolute on February 4, 1928, and thi money was paid up to February 22. It was unreasonable, he stated, t expect a woman at Mrs. Harding's age (particularly if she was m bad health) to maintain herself. Tall above the average, and carrying her fifty-six years m a way tha might well strike envy m the heart of women many years her-junior, Jan Harding is best described as, what i commonly called m judicial circles, " very satisfactory witness." Thirty-four years of married life had done nothing, apparently, to distur Mrs. Jane Harding's serene poise an cool self-possession as was reflected i her demeanor under cross-examination Petitioner gave William's age a being 58 arid her own as fifty-six. Her three children were -•■■

t Her attempt to earn a living m an n apartment house failed Jbecause, as she isaid, "I did"not happen to be the type '--. ~ . for an apartment house lady." - . f This venture cost^ber £100,; wWoh she paid for the goodwill of tOP DUBi- , ness, furniture, etc. Then, owing, tp a breakdown m health, she hadl to sepd her daughter .back to her father m . o -^^Jand. „ -. „ , .. . '- William Harding, hair tiogea ircith grey, clean shaven ana eyes strength--, ened by horn-rimmed spectacles, announced that he G.n ex-station- - master <of Auckland Railway Station, On his retirement m IB_s, he s received- superannuation amounting to £366 s per annum, and o this he had supplemented by casual work, bringing In approximately- £400 over the past three-years. , Though at present employed at Regent Theatre, Queen Street, t Auckland, as treasurer on a salary s of £7 per week, His appointment. c Was a temporary one which-might s be terminated anytime. ' / \ a , „ " .... v *, . . „.,-•'. . From time .to ■ tame during t£e past three years, he had been casually enjb ployed by J.. G. Williamson s,^ N.Z., d Ltd., touring with_ various companies n as treasurer. When on these tours, , however, he had- to. pay all his own s expenses. ...■'-■ So expensive had the calls been upon -. _________ - , hls. -"P-V™*-. th&t ™

Honolulu Holiday

now old enough to support themselves, and she considered her husband could afford to allow her mn'ro tVum thlrtv

naa not _een bdk to acquire any pro-; perty, and all he: had ; managed to save was _58jk When his Wife left 7

shillings per week maintenance. He had offered her 35/-, but this was not enough. With his superannuation pension, and his salary as treasurer of Regent Theatre, Auckland, her husband's income was £14 per week. Lawyer Goulding: Did you not go for a trip to Honolulu and America? — Yes. You will not deny that your husband's money paid for that trip?— Witness did not deny it. Lawyer Goulding: Did you not refuse to live with your husband as his wife m the true sense, after your return from America m 1917?— I had very special reasons for not doing so. With a somewhat quizzical smile Jane Harding gave a qualified denial to the suggestion that she had declined to attend to her household duties after returning to New Zealand. "Not altogether" was her answer. »'•'-. 1 Lawyer Goulding: After your husband came to Wellington from Christy church did you not remain- away from him for 12 months?— l stayed m Christchurch until my son had finished his? year at Christ's College— that \vas the. reason. . '." .'.'."•■- "7, ■ ; Atter leaving her husband, witness had gone to Wellington, taking with her the youngest daughter. . She had received an allowance from William for herself and the girl, amounting to £ 3 10s. per week, ' \f

him • for good T she departed quite suddenly without breaking _ the news, and with her went part of the: furniture. In reply to Lawyer Schramm, witness said his youngest daughter was aged twenty and was at present employed m an Auckland solicitor's office. She was unable' to keep herself on the Salary, she was getting. He was paying £2/15/- per week rent m the Studio Flats m Eden Crescent, and before his daughter obtained her position she received from him £2 per week housekeeping money plus 10/- for herself. , It was When he was travelling with the Rose Marie company that TBeaumont Smith of J. C. Williamson's, offered him the position at the Regent Theatre, Auckland. Since his retirement from the Railway Department m 1925, he had travelled with numerous companies includting the tour, with Miss New Zealand. . William expressed the opinion that his wife's health was not so Impaired that she cpuld : not do /some Tsort of work.j.but he'was prepared. to pay her £2 per 'week so long as. he .held his present position at the Regent. Theatre. -}.. Judge MacGregor took .him. at his . , ; word, but increased the voluntary offer", by 5/- making the total £2/5/- which 7^ the Regent treasurer must pay to pre- :| vent his wife becoming. a bimlen: oaso*^ (Restate. . :^7^i^^ft '•'■:■ "v- ..-.;, •^...■.-77w;Si^^li