"TRUTH'S" SERVICE BUREAU

NZ Truth, Issue 1261, 30 January 1930, Page 16

"TRUTH'S" SERVICE BUREAU

Questions of all kinds (except on matters relating to finance, sporting or cookery, which are answered m their respective columns) are answered here. Correspondents must state names and addresses, as well as nom-de-plume, not for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. No anonymous or verbal inquiries per telephone will be answered. , Questions should be written clearly m ink or typewritten, and addressed to _ "Interpreter," c/o "N.Z. Truth," Wellington. While we take no responsibility for any answers, every endeavor will be made to ensure that they are correct. '

HOUSING AND RATES Q.: I am a timber merchant. I largely increased my premises m consideration of a verbal promise from a miller to constitute me his agent m the district for ten years. He now refuses to sell to me except at a prohibitive cost, with the i-esult that I have made heavy losses. Can I claim damages for breach of the agreement between us ?— " Damages" (Oamaru). A.: A verbal agreement *of this nature is not enforceable. You haveno redress. WAGES AND PENSIONS Q.: I am a widow, 53 years of age, and not able to work through bad health. I receive the pension' for myself and one child just turned 14 years of age. Will I lose my own pension with his when the boy turns 15 years of age? (2) Would the boy receiving pension be allowed to work and receive wages as well; if so, what amount could he earn without, losing the pension until he reached 15 years of age? — "Widow" (Auckland). A.: (1) Yes. (2) You and your .son may receive a total income of £1 10s. per week without your pension being affected. Q.i I have been m receipt of a disabled soldier's dependent's pension for some time. The department has now ceased payment on the ground that I was not married until two years after my husband was discharged from the military forces? — "W.C." (Otira). Ai: You are only entitled to a pension if your marriage took place within two years of. your husband's discharge. If you were maried within this time you can appeaf to the War Pensions

Appeal Board against the loss of the pension. Q.: (1) An old age pensioner, bedridden, has refused to draw her pension or to allow anyone else to do so, for over a year. The money is wanted for her keep. What means should be taken to obtain payment? , (2) A woman's husband divorced her after the war for desertion, though he h.dd made no hdhie for her. ' The case was

giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ | Divorce and Intestacy! | Q.: I divorced my husband, I 1 by whom I have, had three 1 | children. Since then he has §' | had two illegitimate children. § | (1) Can I find out when these | | were born? (2) In the event | £ of my ex-husband dying m- § £ testate will my children take 1 1 his property ?~"P»am" (Wai- 1 | kato). | = A.: (1) You can have a § | search, of 'the register made = I m the places whej-e they were h | born. (2) Yes. I § viiuiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiil

PROPERTY RIGHTS Q.: What steps can be taken against a Borough Council which has cut a drain through property without consent, the drain being 9ft. deep and Bft. wide, the spoil being thrown on to the land. ' There is no roadway through this end- of the land? — "Fairplay" (Oamaru). A.: You can sue for damages and for ah injunction restraining them from allowing the water to flow on to your land. LEGAL Q.: I purchased a cycle on the hirepurchase system. After falling into arrear with the payment of instalments I returned the cycle to the dealer. Am I still liable for the arrears? — "Chips" (Nelson). A.: Yes. Q. : Can a person be prevented from annoying another :by making statements concerning his. birth, he being legitimised by the law? — "Homie." A. : He can be bound over to keep the peace. The only object being to insult, there Is also the remedy of criminal libel. Q.: (a) Can a publican supply a Maori with liquor to take away from the premises? (b) Can a Maori woman be supplied with liquor at' all? (c) If a Maori is arrested for being under the influence of liquor and has two bottles of ale with him is he entitled to his bottles back on being released? — "W.P." A.: Unless the hotel is situated m a natiye licensing district, the native may be supplied m the same way as an European. If the hotel is. m such a

district, 'natives can only be supplied ,wlth . liquor for consumption on the premises. (b) Not unless she is the wife of a person other than a Maori, (c) Yes. Q.: A sum of money was lent, 12 years ago, upon which neither, principal nor interest has been paid. Can the amount be recovered by action? — "D.A.McI." (Invercargill). A.: No, unless the advance were

unaeienaea ana tnere was no oraer for the children's maintenance, but a little has been paid from time to time, Can the mother claim maintenance after children reach the age of 14 years?— Solmar (ximaru). . . A,: &l ll the PerSOn en"tled rl us, es to uplift the money^ nothing ,cah be done at present. Later on section^ of the Pensions Act providing that the pensions of inmates of mental hospitals may be paid to the superintendent may be applicable. (2) She can claim it until they reach 16 years of age. ' TOT A TWrTPW A ■NT'Tr' ATi.axm xna a« ua _ . ... ... . ..., . , „ . Q.: An illegitimate child is under the care of my wife, who is a sister of the child's mother My wife uplifts the maintenance paid by the, i-hild _ f°tZ £,?* ™ mother of the child now desires to re™r?m?rr.ln lrfSffJ +! HnthW n7tbP Ph«fl" P «??r-» clothing, of the, child?- A.E.C ♦^7, niil fa L«S£ with von the position of a boarder with you, and the mother has the right to remove' him. (2) If the maintenance paid by the father is not sufficient for this purpose the mother is responsible, Q.: Three years ago I advertised m the paper I would not be responsible for debts contracted by my wife. As my wife is still living with me does this stand good and. if so, for how long?"Black Oat" (Dunedin). , A.: You cannot avoid your liability to pay for your wife's necessaries of life. With this exception you-are not ilable for her debts. ; > Q.: In the event of a man receiving a divorce from his wife has he still to' maintain her or is he scot-free? — "Bachelor" (Mayfleld). A.: He remains liable for her maintenance, provided he is ordered to pay maintenance by the court..

secured-Dy aeea or unless an acKnowledgment m writing- of the debt has been given within the last six years. Q.: Two rls whose parents are dead, each earn £1/15/- per week. As this is insufficient to keep three young sisters, whose age* are 8, 10 land 15, are they entitled to any assistance from the State?-"Babs" (—). A . No. Had their father been alive he might have applied for the" family allowance artd if their mother had surviyed him and were a]ive she might have been entitled to the widow.s pension, but this case is omitted m the scheme of social legislation. Section 24 of the Pensions Act provides that m th cage of the dfeath of a.^idow n. sioner,. the chiidren's part, of the penslon t b- pald their guardian> but this assumes that .the pension has teen grantedtd the mother m her lifecontained m .section 26 ln certain cases to srant pensions to'mothers with children although not qualified to recelve,.widows' pensions only be exercised on the applica- , #.iv- „«tt, Qtion of the mother. Q.: Two persons each bought a pound of "Flower of Spring" cabbage seed. One pound was a good sample of rubbish, absolute rubbish. Has. the vendor any claim against the firm concerned?— WC. (Lower Hutt) ■ A;: Jes, if the seed was sold under its trade name and it failed to conform to the usual quality of seed sold under that name, q. j. gave an order for six dozen bottles, of ale for Christmas on comption that I did not- have to pay for same for /six months after delivery, Now I get a' bill from, the firm demanding immediate payment. Have I any redress? —" Boozer" (Hinds). A.: If the condition was clear, you cannot be compelled to pay before the time expires.' •