SUPREME COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1920, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

SYLVESTER WILL CASE. This case came again before the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) at Wellington, last. Friday. This was a case i;i which Frederick Sylvester, of Inaha, farmer, had made a will giving £4O a year to his wife, one shilling to his son, one shilling to his daughter, and £IOO to another daughter, and the balance of the estate to nieces and cousins in Australia. The family appealed/ against this under the provisions of the Familv Protection Act. At the first hearing the Chief Justice ordered that the widow should receive £l5O a year annuity provisionally, a final order to bo made for her and the claims of the son and daughters to be considered when the farm property was sold. This had been done, and the final balance of the estate stood at £7703. Mr. T. Young, who appeared for Mrs. Sylvester and family (instructed by Messrs ODea, Haselden and Bayley, Hawera) suggested that the legacies totalling £2650 should be paid in full, that £4OOO should be set aside to provide an annuity for Mts Sylvester, and that the balance, £1143, together with the reversion of £4OOO when it fell in, or a total of £0143, should be divided amongst flie son and two daughters. The solicitor for the Public Trustee agreed that the son was entitled to a share, but objected to the daughters getting a share, as they had husbands able to maintain them; while the solicitor for the Australian legatees was agreeable to the son and daughters getting the balance of £1143, but not the reversion of £4OOO. The Chief Justice reserved his decision, instructing the Public Trustee to eonimimieatj with the legatees in Australia, to ascertain if they were agreeable to the proposal made by Air. Young.—Star.