MAN AND WIFE IN COURT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 318, 18 February 1910, Page 2

MAN AND WIFE IN COURT

U-NHAPi'Y MARITAL RELATIONS. SALT v. SALT. In the S.M. Coart yesterday, before Mr. H. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., Edith Salt, of Vogeltown, charged her husband, Jas. Salt, a builder, with having failed to provide her with adequate means of support. Mr. Roy appeared ifor the )piaintiff, who was supported in court by her elder s'on; and Mr. J. B. Quilliam appeared for the defendant. A plea of "not 'guilty" was entered. Mr. Roy stated that plaintiff lived at Vogeltown with her two sons, one 01 whom was 20 or 21 years old, and the other a schoolboy about 13 years old Defendant had left home on several occasions, and finally left in October last. He paid his wife 30s a week until January last, since when he had paid nothing. The dwelling in which complainant lived was her property. It stood on three-fifths of an acre of land, and in addition there was another piece of ground, one-fifth of an acre. The county valuation of the first property was £573, and of the second £Bl, a total of £654. There were two mortgages, aggregating £2OO. Mrs. Salt had to pay interest, rates, and all outgoings. She supplemented her income by grazing three cows in a paddock, which she rented for £l6 a year. Complainant deposed that she had been married s'ome 23 years. She had planted about 2000 mangels in the paddock with her own hands, to feed the cows with. Beyond what little she got from the sale of milk and a small weekly allowance from her eldest boy she was solely dependent upon her husband. To Mr. Quilliam: The only encumbrance on the house Avas a building society mortgage for £IOO. This would be freed in two years if the payments' of £1 lis 8d a month were kept up. A deed of separation' between herself and her husband had been drawn up, but was afterwards revoked. She would sell the property at the county valuation if she took it into her head to do so. She would rather sell it for less than it was worth than go into debt to her tradespeople. She could not live on 30s a week. To Mr. Fitzherbert: She had no debts', beyond one or two small ones Mr. Quilliam stated that while Salt wanted some finality to these proceedings, he did not intend to raise any contentious matters.' Mi?. Salt did not intend to reflect on Mrs. Salt in any way. They were people of the highest respectability, and in Mr. Quilliam's opinion it was a great pity they had come to this. Probably the trouble had been an incompatibility of temperaments that could have been overcome. Mr. Quilliam pointed out that Salt had left home on October 25, and had therefore been away for sixteen weeks. In that time he had paid his wife £23 2s, or 28s a week, which was 8s a week more than the maximum provided by the law.

In his evidence defendant stated that no serious trouble had arisen between his wife and himself until 1 eight or nine years ago. They could not agree with their tempers.. The last row started over a very trivial ■ matter, and his' wife told him he had better go. He had a few debts. He had 'the,debts and his wife had the house. The house was owned in his wife's-name but it was really his. He would not, however, go into the question of ownership of'the property, and' would like' to make it clear that the debts' he ; had spoken of were his own, and not contracted by his wife. The first' time he was away from home he gave his wife, ~£2 a week, and the second time 30s. He was quite willing to give her any reasonable figure Mr. Fitzherbert suggested that the case should be adjourned to allow of the parties settling .their differences amicably. Mr. Roy would be able to show his client that the court could not award her more than £1 a week, that being the maximum allowance fixed by the law.

Mr. Roy rather 1 doubted" \i an agreement could be arrived at, but accepted his Worship's suggestion in the spirit in which it was meant. '

The case" wa-s-' then' adjourned for a week. \--'<'<nprm- , . !■■■'•'.«!&;