AGREED TO SEPARATE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 949, 16 April 1930, Page 12

AGREED TO SEPARATE

HUSBAND’S DRINKING HABITS WIFE GRANTED DIVORCE “If a man cannot Have a drink when he wants to, we would be better apart.” These sentiments, with which she entirely agreed, were expressed by Ebenezer Gladstone Robb, when they parted, according to Nora Elizabeth Robb (Air. Singer), whose petition for divorce was granted by Air. Justice Smith in the Supreme Court today. Married on September 13, 1913, petitioner said she subsequently found her husband was a very heavy drinker, a habit which he continued throughout their married life. During the time her husband was in camp at Trentam she lived nearby, and he came home drunk four or five nights out of seven. After two years in Egypt lie returned in 1919, and was in Featherston camp until 1921. They then went to live in Wellington, where she had to work to maintain herself and her husband. Because of his drinking, she took out a prohibition order against her husband in 1922, and next year she warned him she would leave him if he did not desist in his conduct. At his request, to get away from friends in Wellington, they came to Auckland, but his drinking continued, and he used to stay away from home two or three days at a time. On one occasion, after drawing his wages, he went to Wellington, and had to borrow money to return here. About the midle of 1926 he took away his clothes, after agreeing to live apart from her. He had done nothing to maintain her since November, 1926. A decree nisi on the ground of mutual separation was granted.