DOMESTIC BLISS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81899, 5 December 1906, Page 2

DOMESTIC BLISS.

William Hurle was charged at the S.M. Court on Tuesday morning- with having failed to-obey the order of tlie court requiring lurn to contribute 15/ a week lowaww the support oi children. Taere was 111 arrears ,62b ou November i S ih lata. On the .1lormation being- read, the accused lep.nd. "Tnat is so, Vour Worship." "Oil, tnen you plead guilty?" "its, iour \\ orsinp. l "Have you anything 10 say, any reason why you sliouia not be commuted " a *ked the Magisuate. "Well oui y a tcw wee j iil ago, your worship, tlsar you were sai'.sfiel had not sufficient means and was not ab'e to pay. 1 wen t t u weia, and got a job. i\|ow Mr-. Hurle finds i nave eaiited a few shi.itngs there, and hence brings this action. J. am not ab.o to pay.' But you have earned something?" queried the S.M. "Yes, I've earned ju»t a little more than enough to pay my board. My average earnings wave been 31/ a week since I've been 111 Hawera. 1 had to borrow £,2 in order to go there.'' I

The Magistrate could not understand how Hurlo could work at his trade 1 boot-making, at iess than the r ate of wages, but it W as explained he was only repairing;, and paid by piecework, '

Ldith Hurle, the complainant, and [ wile pf accused, said she had gone to Hawera and made inquiries as to his earn ngs. Her husband's employer liad declined to give her any information at the timo but promised to wute. HuHlc's prt'dece-sor however, "ad told hor that he earned £2 a week, arid Dunii t the emp.oyer, said h.s business was the same now as when Millar was working for him. Dunn hud since written that during tne nme week's employment Hunu had earned 1 g/6, which figured out at 31j a week.

The Magistrate said lie wus not at all satisfied with the state of affairs, and proposed to adjourn the case for a week, in order tliat police in Hawera could make enquiries. The defendant stated that he was labouring under considerable hard>Wip in that his wife followed him round and made such statements as damaged his chances of obtaining employment. She had made it im-

possible for Mm to get work in New Plymouth and bud practica'ly hounde:l him out of the town. She ]i iU l now been to Hawera and there circulated statements that were not .in accordance with fact, making it hard for him as a slrjmgev to' get work. The S.M. said that if the defen 'ant was earning £2 per week Ii e slioud have contributed some maintenance. He did not like the attitude of Dunp ill deeming- to give information to the wife and then wri'ipg some days afterwards in tho direction of contradicting the information gleaned bv Mis llurte.

Defendant; May 1 ask Mrs Hurle wlwrc sne got her information from? ihe Bench; No, certainly not. Defendant; WoX, my wife is tel. tng people slie : won't be satisfied unt'l she has me in gaol. The Bench ; Well, alio wont get you 1 1 gao. unless she proves you are contumacious. She will lir lV e to prove you have the moans to make tile payments. If s h e proves that, and you don't pay, then I'll have to s "nd you to gaol. I can't understand, though, why you, a good tradesman, can only earn 31/ a week. The case wil: be adjoured for a week.