The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 21. ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP IN MARRIAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8090, 21 April 1906, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 21. ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP IN MARRIAGE.

If the present Government desired to claim distinction for ono thing more than another, it might pat itself on the back for the working of much of its social legislation. Many of the actions of the Government, and notably those inspired by the Premier, have been of an exceedingly humane class, and if by these actions the Government has won the favor of the people, one must not grudge the honor due. To go over old ground, it is.still satisfactory to recall the benefits of the Old Age Pensions Act, the Advances to Settlers Act, and many others that have been distinctly of service to a large number of people. Then again, one of the finest things any Government ever did was to institute the Public Trust Office, a Government department that we have no hesitation in saying has knocked a great deal of sharp practice on the head by the fair and cheap administration of deceased persons' estates, doing away with many private executors, who formerly had great opportunities of squandering testators' estates without let or hin drance.

And speaking about tho temptations that may beset any person, and which the Government is right in minimising, brings us to a subject touched on by the Premier in an interview a few days ago. There are a great number of casual persons in New Zealand, and elsewhere, who are on the look-out to avoid responsibilities. There is the man who gets married this week and ships for Sydney next week, leaving his wife There is also the man who isn't married, and leaves in a like manner, leaving the woman who ought to be his wife, aud there is the man of whom the Premier spoke in the interview mentioned, who, having property in his own name, has in the past been able to sell out and clear out, leaving his wife and family penniless. It is proposed to bring in legislation to stop this class of person, and, although the Premier gave no indication of the methods to be employed, it is obvious that the marriage service will' be taken more literally if any legislation is enacted in this connection,

The man who takes a solemn oath to endow " with all his worldly goods " the woman he marries, has never been forced to do any such thing His property has remained wholly and solely his. He is still at liberty to dispose of the whole or any part of it, his wife remaining a cipher in the matter. It is charitable to assume that in the majority of marriage contracts there is a moral agreement as to the partnership of goods, cash, and property, that is as binding as the most carefully-drawn document. But the fact that the Government considers it necessary to legislate in order to give a wife some economic standing in case of severance or disagreement, is the best evidence that there are many men about, who are mean enough to take advantage of the law as it at present stands. - The Premier, while he spoke of the man who was capable of selling up his property, and leaving nothing for his wife, did not mention the other kind of fellow who is capable of transferring all his goods and chattels to his wife. It sounds a very noble thingio do.

* # * * Herb is a sample of the nobility of the thing. A healthy, hearty, old couple, with little ready money, but a good deal of valuable land, had a family of adults, who were also blessed with worldly goods and land. The old couple deliberately transferred all their right and interest in the land to their children, in order that they might be apparently poor enough to draw the old age pension. They still draw it. Also, they still draw the rentals from those lands which are registered in their children's names, but which are actually theirs. Is there no legislation that might be devised to meet such a case as this? As we have said, there are hundreds of men in this colony and elsewhere who transfer all their property to their wives. Sometimes the transfer is effected with almost indecent suddenness just before the crash of bankruptcy comes. The estate being le gaily transferred to his wife, cannot be distrained by the creditors, and the transferee is safe from the law.

* * * * Our point is that if a woman and a manure wedded in the flesh, there should be an " economic " unity, with a mutual cash responsibility, binding on both partners to the contract. That is to say, that in law, as well as in sentiment, the property of wife and husband should bo one and indivisable for all purposes. It should be, and we feel sure that it somo day will be, impossible for a married man or a married woman to acquire any property, to sell, lease, transfer, or in any way barter land, goods, or anything else, without a joint agreement. If yon are a business man with a partner, you are legally restrained from parting with any of the property of the partnership. If yon are a married man you should be legally restrained from selling what you swore before the parson or the registrar to endow your wife with.

The simple legislative act of making husband and wife economic partners, would at once make it unnecessary to deal in any other way with the husband who wanted to sell out and clear out. He would be unable to sell without the signature of his wife, and the wife would be in a similar position if she had visions of making afresh start in life. At present a husband may desert his wife, and be charged at the Courts and made to pay maintenance. The Courts, for some unexplained reason, have never been able to see that a woman and several children are entitled to more consideration and more cash than one man. Therefore, maintenance is fixed so that the man may have two thirds or more of his earnings, and the wife and children what is left. All these anomalies could be immediately wiped out by tho simple device of legally compelling the parties to a marriage contract to "pool" their resources, the said pool not being saleable or divisable except by mutual agreement of the parties.

Even the average pipe smoker lias an affection for his pipes. Willi " G.B.D.s" such as J. Avery has on offer, there is no fear of a short life for a pet pipe. This special selection ineludes every shape, with vulcanite and amber mouthpieces. The name guarantees quality. Cases are shown in new pitol patter, breast-pocket cases, and all others. The briars are plain or mounted. J.. Avery's pipe display is one every smoker should sec.—Adyt.

I A eolleelion of repairs ns yet uncalled for at Mr J. H. Parker's jewellery establishment suggests the expediency of a call from those of his customers who have work lying there. .Mr Parker's business changes hands shortly, and these repairs should be called for at once. The jewellery sale has been an unqualified success. There are bargains yet. Every line is reduced by os in the £ discount for cash for a few weeks longer.—Advt.

Mr F. P. Corkill reports the sale of an excellent grazing farm of 1000 acres in the Uronui district, to a local investor.

A start has been made with the removal of earth from Liardct street, in front of the New Plymouth Technical School site.

The expressman have asked us to state that it was a grocer's cart, and not an expross, which causod the accident at the Curric street crossing on Wednesday afternoon.

Thero appears to bo a fair and steady demand for property in Hawora, and one auctioneer (Mr Jay) has recently disposed of quite a number of properties at top prices. Things generally in the town have a go-ahoad appearance.

" See that you don't get a promissory note from him," exclaimed a member of the Harbour Board yosterday, when it was decided to ask for a deposit from a contractor. "It will be all right if you endorse it," facetiously replied Member No. 2. The next remark of No. 1 was drowned in the laughter that ensued,

A letter received from the Rev. J. N. Buttle states that he is very muoh enamoured of Masterton, his new sphere of work. The town, he says, has made marvellous strides since he was previously stationed there, and his opening services were most encouraging

On Thursday night the Olympia Elite Rink was well attended. The exhibition of fancy and trick skating by Mr Mcintosh, also an exhibition of chair jumping [on skates were much appreciated, ordinary chairs being negotiated in safety. To-night, a ladies' fan and balloon race will be decided for a prize of a silver medal. This should be well worth witnessing, as the entries are said to be numerous.

Some little time ago the Board of School Commissioners ordered a new ollicial seal from an Auckland house, who, in turn, procured it from the United States. After a fair trial this has now been discarded and replaced by a much superior and no more costly article, which has been made in New Plymouth to the Board's order by Messrs J. Hooker and Co., of Dovon street.

Owing to a heavy fog on Friday morning, the Rarawa was unable to make the wharf on her arrival from north about 4 o'clock, and fog signals bad to be requisitioned. At (5.30 the steamer was berthed, the fog having lifted by this time. The express train was about 20 minutes late iu leaving the New Plymouth station iu consequence of the delay at tho port. A rehearsal was held last night ol the special hymns and singing at the Whiteley Sunday School Anniversary services to-morrow, and everything want off most successfully. The chorus will be assisted by an orchestra under tho baton of Mr G. H. White, conductor. Miss Cunncll will preside at the organ. The church will probably bo crowded, as the new minister, Rev. Brooke, will preach his opening sermons.

The amount of butter exported from the port of New Plymouth shows a big decrease with the advance of the season, but is still ahead of that oxported from all tho other ports put together, for large quantities are being stored. The principal English demand is for the finest brands of factory-made butter, probably because this article lends itself to the " faking" process. There is no request for second-grade or dairy butters.

There was a, big demand for the Tabanaki News yesterday morning. An hour after publication there was not a paper left in the publishing room. Another edition was put on, but these were all disposed of in an hour or two, and by 10.30 we had inquiries from all parts of the province for additional copies. The extensive cable concerning the frightful catastrophe in San Francisco was the cause of the big demand.

A Christehurch fiskmouger, in answer to the Premier's threat to open fish shops to eope with the alleged ring, inserted tlio following advertisement in a local paper:—"Ohnstchurck Fish Trade and Seddon rings. A bona fide offer is hereby mado to the Government to take over my business at a valuation. This will enable the Premier to flatton the Christehurch ring out in one snack. This offer is open for three moifclis"

At Friday's meeting of the Harbour Board, the chairman, in' the course of a discuss'ou re the loaning of some ot the Board's trucks to a prirate]contractor, stated that some time ago a similar request had been complied with, but whoa it came to paying for the use of the material, the contractor upbraided him for asking for any payment, seeing that he (the contractor) paid rates to the Board! On top of this, the individual in quostion would not return the material, which the Board's employees eventually had to go for!

At the end of this month Christchurch will be thoroughly ransacked in order that the city's accommodation capabilities may be determined. Tho census sub-enumerators, when leaving the ordinary forms at houses, will deposit others on which the residents will be invited, to state the extent to which they arc able to take in boarders. When the anwers have beeu collected the rooms will be graded by the exhibition authorities, so that visitors to tho fair may be directed to lodgings calculated to suit them.

An Invercargill auctioneer who conducted a sale nt a country township one day last week, met with au amusing experience. Before leaving town he was approached by a well-known laud agent to offer a section at the sale, and agreod to do so. Wheu he asked for bids, however, ho was astonished to hear a roar of laughter from the assembled company, one of whom facetiously offered to hand over £5 to the knight of the hammer if he would point out the land. It appeared that the area had, only a few days previously, been washed down the Oreti, leaving not a square yard bohind.

The district valuer, Mr. S. Hill, had a fairly busy day at the Town Hall on Friday, in adjusting values ,to the satisfaction of several who considered their assessments were excessive, gome of the dobatcs were warm, and some remarkably pointed, but iu the cud the valuer reckoned he scored. In a few cases small reductious of £lO to £2O were made, and a couple of serious clerical errors were rectified. In , another case about £3O was knocked oft, in order to save a property owner the inconvenieace of attending the Statutory Court, A noteworthy feature is that several of those who led in the recent agitation have withdrawn their objections, and will not appear at the Assessment Court, whilst, still more noteworthy, one of the principal speakers at tho public meeting called to protest against tho values, has agreed to his assessment being increased by £IOO. The business portion of the town has practically agreed uow to refrain from Court proceedings, with the exception of two or three owners. One rural owner was told he would have to face the music, as the valuer could uot accede to the demands made for reduction. Mr Hill expresses himself as well satisfied with the result of his interviews. HHEUMO SOON CURED HIM. A few doses ot Rheuiuo soon cured Mr Geo. Collcdgc, the well-known Wellington master mariner. He writes:—"l was attacked with rheumatic gout. My feet were much swollen, and so very painful that I had to keep iu lied. Hearing of your cure for gout, I sent for a bottle of Rltiiirjto, and after Inking a few doses the effect was magical—the severe pain left and the swelling disappeared. I was soon on my feet agaiu and able to go to work." Rheumo is sold everywhere at 2s 6d and 'ls 6d a bottle.

A " cleaner," for general household use, is " Hydrolciu " soap, tho " King of Cleaners." Used in warm or cold water, economical, savos rubbing, and hard work, costs only 3Jd at T. W. Welch's, Brougham street, N.P.— Advt-