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GEELONG DIVORCE SUIT
DECREE FOR DESERTION.
Melbourne, Friday.
A suit for the dissolution of her mar-
riage on the ground of desertion was
brought By Ethel May Beck, of Bella-
rine street, Geelong, domestic, aged 36.
against Charles Beck, 42, also of Gee-
long, in the Divorse Court to-day be-
fore Mr. Justice M‘Arthur on the ground
of desertion. The parties were married
on ,July 14, 1908. according to the rites
of the Church of England at Christ
Church, Geelong. There are two child-
ren of the union.
The petitioner’s case was that they
lived for some years at Fyansford. She
alleged, however, that the respondent
was of a very bad temper and that they
quarrelled three weeks after the mar-
riage. They moved for some time to
Germantown where they worked as a
married couple for six months. After-
wards they went to Belmont, Geelong.
In January, 1916, he went, away and did
not send her any money for the main-
tenance of the home and she followed
him to Fyansford, and saw him where he
was working. He told her that she
would have to go out and work as he
was not gong to support her. She told
him in return that she could not stand
it any longer, and left the house on the
following day with the children. She
went to her mother at first and respond-
ent agreed to allow her £1 a week for
the children, but he only kept the pay-
ments going for three weeks. The peti-
tioner met him six months’ after she left
him in Ryrie street, and she undertook
to return to their home for the child-
ren’s sake. He said she had left them
and would not get them any more. They
then parted. She saw him again and it
was agreed that she was to take the girl
and he the boy. She had gone to work
and the respondent had not paid her a
penny for the last seven years.
A decree nisi was granted. On the
subject of alimony, Mr Justice M‘Arthur
asked the petitioner what the respondent
was earning.
The petitioner—He is earning £5 a
week.
Mr Justice M'Arthur—How do you
know that. 'You have had nothing from
him for seven years?
The Petitioner —-He is a lorry driver
for the cement works--with the same
firm. He was getting that then and
wages have not gone down.
Alimony was fixed at the rate of 30/
a week, to commence from the date of
the decree absolute.
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