Arizona republican., 1920-05-14
The Relentless Wife
Rv Frederiek J. Haskir


 NEW YORK, May 6.-This is pop ularly supposed to be mans world but there is one place where it certainly belongs to women, and that is the do- mestic relations court, sometimes called the ssdivorce court of the poor again. .sthe court of family rows" of New York. Here it is the man who pays while the woman stalks grimly off with the domestic laUrels.
 Presumably man may lodge 3 com plaint in this court if his wife deserts him, but few men do. Thus it is pri- marily a women's and children's court patronized almost wholly by disgrun- tied wives who are anxious to get even" v@ith erring or weary husbands. Occasionally a mother appears to exact support from an Irresponsible son, but mothers-in-law are much more in evil dence.
 As the reporter approached the old, dingy, red brick court house the other morning, a crowd Of interested pedeS- trians was gathered about a very angry young man and a very angry old lady, who were shouting intimate reproaches at one another just as if they had the whole street to themselves. The young man wore an old brown suit, a speckled cap, and no collar. the old lady was also poorly clad in a shiny black cape and a rakish sailor hat.
 You've got plenty of money" she told the young man and he amused crowd at the same time. And my daughters goin' to get some of it. The judge'll may you pay it.f
 "Nobody'n ever make me pay it' re- piled the young man furiousiy. sII see them in heaven firsti"
 The Proud Male cringes
 But. alas for the bravado of the male, a few minutes later this same young man was standing meekly before the judges desk in the courtroom, noddin 2 an abashed assent to all the serious charges against him and weakly agree ing to contribute eight dollars week to the support of his wife. The wife is earning S16 week and living with her parents so that this will make her total weekly Income S24, while her hus- band will have only SIT left out of his weekly salary.
 The courtroom itself proved interest ing because of it's utter lack of formal ity and legal pretentions. It is more like a private office than a court, and the judge, long since having discarded his judicial robe, sits democratically at a long table where also sit the defen- dant the lawyers the court stenog- rapher. and the probation officers. To the immediate right of this table is the witness chair. One case is admitted to the courtroom at time to receive a confidential hearing.
 So much nicer than tt used Io be, whispered plumr, gray-haire6 pro bation officer to us. a s we sank into a straight backed shiny office chair near the official table. having gained our adn1ittance by the divine right of our reporters card. fsIt's just like a family caucus now. You know, if used to be that the women had to stand in line and take their turn with all sorts of crim inals. and the whole neighborhcod used to come and absorb all the gossip. The poor things were afraid to say anything for fear every house on their block would have the story by the time they got home.
 Now the cases pass through our probation department before they ara even brought into the courtroom. We investigate conditions. find out whether