COOKS' DOMESTIC STEW

NZ Truth, Issue 1181, 19 July 1928, Page 4

COOKS' DOMESTIC STEW

Wife's Bogus Advertisement To Mislead Husband

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) Advice to wives whose matrimonial complexities have caused them to seek the shelter of the maintenance court.

nEMSMBER that the magisterial i\ seal which puts the judicial touch to a husband's domestic obligations, bears also a stringent understanding m regard to the wife's behavior. In plain, every-day vernacular, she is expected to "play the game. 1 ' This was emphasized' .by Magistrate Hunt m the . Auckland Maintenance Court the other day, when Margarita Violet Cook proceeded against her husband, Frederick John Cook, on account of arrears amounting to £28 m respect of a maintenance order for £2 a week. The wife also asked for an increase m the order. Frederick Cook, assisted by Lawyer Inder, retaliated with a very sound reason for his deliberate lack of attention to the payments and also asked that the guardianship clause m the existing order be varied. "In making the order on November 4, your worship was somewhat sceptical m regard to certain allegations against the wife," announced the husband's solicitor. It was said that the woman was carrying on with a Rarotongan youth and subsequent events go to show that there is something m it. Counsel further explained that Mrs. Cook had been travelling round different parts of the North Island m the capacity of a boarding-house and hotel cook. It was significant that wjierever she obtained employ- • ■_

ment, the Rarotonf an followed and secured some such occupation as pantryman at the same place.

Consequently, Cook had been unable to ascertain his wife's whereabouts and had therefore 'been deprived of seeing his two children, -who were with their mother by order of the court. On counsel's advice, Cook withheld "payments with the object of forcing the woman to disclose her place of residence. •The weekly payments had .been put aside and the scheme had apparently been successful. Magistrate Hunt: "And he had no chance of seeing his children? That is not fair." ■ In the witness-box* Margarita Cook gave her reasons for keeping out of the way of her spouse. "He said he would make it so — —hot for me- that I would be glad to leave town," she declared. ■_:''. She was not always able to work, but when she could she took a position and was endeavoring to pay £1 a week for her elder son, w,ho was at the Rotorua Grammar School. There was nothing m the story of the Rarotongari youth, she added; the court could rest assured on that point. Magistrate: Well, why dp you want to cart a boy of 18 around with you?— That man (indicating her husband) has threatened to take the boy's life. "He makes himself a nuisance . ; . and always abuses and insults me when he sees me," continued the wife, m support of her reasons for hidden identity. To Lawyer Inder, she admitted that she had secured employment at Russell, Te Teko and Rotorua. . Counsel: When you went up to Russell, did not Williams give up a position at Devonport to join you?: — Yes. And you were living together m a lean-to cottage?— l might tell you that a highly esteemed citizen of Russell went to a lot of trouble to get me accommodation and finally got me a ! three-roomed cottage for myself and children. • .-, And Williams lived there, too?— Yes, but because he was living with us it doesn't suggest immorality. If 1

Wife's Boy Friend

'. came to stay at your home, could you call it immoral? "Don't worry," replied the lawyer, "you won't be asked." To further questions, witness admit- , ted that her son — when writing to his father— had fir-st sent the letter to a person m Hamilton, so that the ad- : dress would not 'be disclosed. Magistrate: Now, that's not right?— But I never wanted him to know where I was. When he met me m Queen Street once, he said: "Why don't you do the right thing and clear out like Mrs. Bishop did?" "Look here," said the S.M., "you are not going to tramp " these children all over New Zealand! You will either have to let your husband have access to them or lose £1 a week." "Well, the children say they would rather, lose 'the maintenance than live with their father; just try them, give them the option!" the wife retorted triumphantly.. Magistrate Hunt: "I am the last man m the world to take children away from their mother, but . . ." "I don't drink or smoke," Mrs. Cook interjected. Counsel: "Neither does your husband drink or smoke." ."He has worse vices than that!" the . wife came back. Counsel then produced an advertise- •■ ment from a city newspaper, which read: "Advertiser for Mrs. M. V. Cook m this column last Wednesday. Mrs. ! Cook (initials unknown, two little boys) left New Zealand

early April. Friend." Now you put that advertisement m yourself m answer to one

put m at my client's instigation?- — Yes, and it shows how much I wanted to avoid him. "There's too much noise about this dark boy and you, yet you come here and ask for the order to be increased," observed the ibench as the woman left the box to give place to her husband. To Maintenance Officer Campbell, acting- for 'the wife, Cook declared that his wages during the past six months would not be more than £4 a week. '• Are you quite sure of that? — Yes. "Would you be surprised to learn that you. have averaged £6 a week?" — which suggestion was backed up by a certificate from the Auckland Shipping and Stevedores' Association. Cook stated that on his counsel's advice he had banked the payments instead of paying- them to a woman m Hamilton who had been acting- as intermediary for his wife. He had already paid £5 off -the arrears and was willing to pay a further sum of £21. "I ani going to dismiss the wife's application regarding the disobedience of the order on the understanding that the matter is fixed up as has been offered. "\ shall also dismiss the application for an increase of the order," decided the bench. Turning to Mrs. Cook, he added: "Now, you must start afresh and let «this court know your whereabouts or the money will cease. '" "If you want £2 a week, let your husband see his children when he wants to."