They Keep On Paying!

Position of Unfortunate Husbands in N. Guinea

Letter to the Editor TN moving about through the Islands for the past 20 years, I have been surprised at the great number of men practically separated from their wives, with little hope of ever rejoining them.

They lead lonely lives in this uncomfor table place simply because they have to earn the alimony granted to their wives by the courts.

Some of these cases are pathetic. Most of them have good cause for divorce but, owing to the prohibitive legal and other costs, they are prevented from taking action. By the time the alimony and their own keep are paid, there is nothing left to take legal action with. So they do the only thing possible—that is, keep on paying, whilst they can.

One man has been paying alimony for over ten years, and has not seen his wife during that time.

In another case, a young man was mar ried after being engaged for two years, just before coming to the Islands to which his wife agreed to come before they were married. At the last minute, objection was raised by her: it was bet ter for him to go first and make a home, and she would follow later. This was done, but his so-called wife kept delaying, and finally refused, because she heard the climate was terrible for wo men. He refused to pay more money for her keep, and, in the end, she got ali mony from the court. This alimony he has been paying for some two years or more. He was asked why he did not go for divorce, but the same reply was received; he could not save sufficient to pay legal expenses. A friend called at the address where his letters were sent, and was told that she only called there for letters, and they did not know her private address.

In another case, an employee on a boat had been separated from his wife and young son since the depression, when he came to the Islands to fill the only posi tion he could find. He left his wife and son behind, on the understanding they would follow later. Three months later, he forwarded the money for their fares, and got word back that she was too sick to come then, but would come later.

Shortly after, his relations wrote him that she was living with another man as his wife, and he refused to send more money. She got a court order against him, and he has been paying this toe years.

There are dozens of this class of case, amongst plantation men, engineers, store men and captains of boats, without any hope of their getting rid of the encum berance, because they cannot get suffi cient money to pay the big price for solicitors and private detectives, although they have plenty of evidence.

There are many in the same position; but when conversation leads to matri monial matters, they agree that they

have not seen their wives for years, and know nothing of them, and beyond that they refuse to go. On one boat the cap tain and two officers are separated from their wives.

Surely something can be done to remedy this cruel state of affairs. There is something wrong. It was never in tended that two people, finding they are not able to live together, through the fault of one or both, should be condemned to lead a life, quite unnatural and cruel.

What about the unfortunate working man who cannot pay for the divorce he is entitled to? Must he live and die in misery? What, might I ask, has become of the proposed legislation to make a separation for five years a legal ground for divorce?

There are many more cases that I could quote, but I fear that they would take too much space in your valuable paper, I am, etc.,

Habaulite.

Rabaul, N.G., Sept. 11, 1937.

Dr. J. R. Nimmo has been elected to the Thursday Island Town Council.