"No money - no food" was stated at the South-Western Matrimonial Court to have been the ultimatum presented by a wife to her husband.
She is Mrs. Clarice Law, of Queens-road, Lambeth, who applied for a separation order on the grounds of her husband's neglect to maintain her.
Stating she was granted an order in 1934 for 27s. 6d. a week, Mrs. Law added her husband returned to her in 1935 and allowed her 27s, 6d. a week at first, but the money dwindled.
"I was keeping house eventually on a ridiculous sum," she told the Court. "I said: 'No money - no food' I accepted no money on condition he paid the rent, but he has not done even that."
The husband, George Law, who declared he was unemployed, alleged his wife had done no washing for him for two years.
"Although we lived in the same house she would not talk to me properly," he went on. "The only talk I had with her was when someone else was there, and our last visitor was eight months ago."
The magistrate, Mr. Clyde Wilson, made an order for a nominal allowance of 1s. weekly.
(Published in the "News of the World" in May 1937)