GLARING INJUSTICE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 258, 23 June 1932, Page 4

GLARING INJUSTICE

A case has been brougbt to our notice of what would appear a glaring instance of'unfair and unjust treatment meted out by the Unemployment Board. A miirried man for many years resident in Rotorua, was some time ago, proceeded against by his wife for separation and maintenance of his children. The wife undertook to keep herself and required the husband to maintain his children. An order was made by the Court accordingly, providing for separation and maintenance of the children. The husband was unable to find work and jomed the relief workers. He has now been notified that his name has been struck off the list and he must be treated as a single man and proceed to the Forestry Department's camp for single men. The written notification from the Unemployed Committee states "that the Board will not hold itself responsible for the maintenance order in operation against him." Thus the young children are left to be maintained by the wife and her relatives, leaving no recourse whatever against her husband to carry out his obligations. It is a shocking state of affairs in a community such as this, where every person is paying out of his or her earnings 1/- in the £ to maintain those who are out of work, that relief workers should be treated in this fashion : that the f ather ' when he goes to work should be toki that he will be treated as a single man and must go to a single man's camp where he will receive 10/- a week, and the claims of his children, even though the subject of a court order, are entirely disregarded. If the mother proceeds to endeavour to enforee the order of the court for maintenance of the children, all the husband can do is to produce his instructions from the Unemployment Committee, anc thus avoid his obligations, certainly through 110 fault of his own. It is time the community took a firm stand in this matter and insisted that justice be done with the funds available.