PEARCE DIVORCE CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1921, Page 4

PEARCE DIVORCE CASE.

FINALLY DISPOSED OF. DECREE ABSOLUTE GRANTED. (By Wire.—Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Last Night. The Pearce divorce case, which has attracted a great deal of interest, was disposed of finally to-day. It did not reach the Court, the proceedings being taken in the Chief Justice’s room, and the reporters were admitted after some private conference. The case, it will be remembered, was complicated by the departure of the respondent, George Pearce, ex-M.P for Patea, from New Zealand with his daughter Haze], in contravention of the orders of the Court. Counsel for the petitioner, Margaret Peart ■, had asked previously' for an order of attachment, but this was not proceeded with. To-day the .proceedings were very brief. Mr. M. Myers, on behalf of the petitioner, Margaret Pearce, made an application for a decree absolute, and to this the Chief Justice assented. 'Mr. Myers then applied for the mother to have the custody of one of the daughters—Hazel Pearce, a minor—on the understanding that the girl should be entitled to spend alternate weekends with her elder sister at her father’s residence.

The Chief Justice agreed that this arrangement was fair. Mr. Myers said, in regard to alimonv, that he desired to say that Pear?? had made provision in a manner which was satisfactory to petitioner, and therefore it was not necessary to ask for an order under that heading. With regard to the other application, for a writ of attachment. he understood that Mr. W. J. Treadwell, counsel for Pearce, had a statement to make. He added that as Pearce had made a settlement the position had been met. Mr. Treadwell said the facts were known to his Honor. If his Honor considered that Pearce *had directly or indirectly infringed the rights of tihe Court he, on Pearce’s behalf, wished to express sincere regret The Chief Justice said that being so, and the sole reason the issue concerning contempt had been raised having been to enforce crril rights, and these having been satisfactorily settled, and the defendant having expressed his regret, he did not think it necessary to say anything further. He added that, following his usual practice where children were concerned, he would make an order that the affidavits filed should not be published.