BANKRUPTCY RETURNS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1922, Page 4

BANKRUPTCY RETURNS.

BIG INCREASE LAST YEAR. INCLUDING 38 FARMERS. The returns for the district under the charge of Ilr. W. S. Fisher, Official Assignee, are completed lor the year ended December 31, 1021. These show a big increase in the number of bankruptcies as compared with the previous ! ye,ar. The total for the year I0:"»O was 56, while for 1021 it reached ISfi. of which SS were farmers, and indication? that the. slump in price? for produce affected the men on the land. Amongst the bankrupts were 33 employers. '-7 employee.-, and 72 who were in business on their own account. There were 38 farmers, 12 labourers, 12 hairdressers. 10 storekeepers, fi builders, .i companies. Of thn j total number of bankruptcies. 56 were from Auckland.' 2S Hamilton. 20 Gisborne, 14 Xew Plymouth and Stratford, . 10 Hawera. and 10 Wbangarcl. | i In analysing the iignre.- it should be I borne in mind that tha total liabilities I were greatly increased owing to two big Cstnt.es mining into the hands of the I Assignee in Bankruptcy- The gross liabilities for r.l-1 as per statement filed,; totalled £2<5">.r>23 1 ■'.">. a.s compared with I £32,40.5 14/3 in 1020. The assets as per statements last year, totalled £100.713. 14/10. a> acrain.-t' £21,V27 12/7 in 10£0.| The amount? realised by the Assignee i wer? nearly the same for both vcar-. being £21.877 10 o in 1021. and £21.7fi0 .53 in 1020. The debt? prr-vc.d in 1021 totalled £270.413, as compared with! £30.0. r )0 3/6 the previous year. The di>i-! dends paid during 1021 totalled £0,342| '< 11/5, a= compared with £17,P75 Brs8 r 5 the' previous year. ! Throughout the di.st.'>t th? liabilities in five bankruptcies were. unde.T f.V\ eight not over £100: thirty. . three n"t over £2oO; t«enty-six not over £500; twenty-one not over £1000; twenty-nine not over £2000; srvr>n not j over -biOOfl: and seven over £5000. j The fnlling-off last. \car may be explained as caused by the fact j that two large estates have yer to bo 1 wound up, and while the total liabilities are known, what, dividend n-iil be paid has yet to be ascertained. Thare payments are excluding those to preferential and secured creditor?. In preferential claims £1.6i>2 18/1 was paid in 1021, and £1,611 I,'S the previous year. QUARTERLY RETUR.X. The. return for the quarter ended December 31 was as follows:, —Number of bankruptcies. 13 in Auckland and 42 lin the other parts of the district., The total amount of assets realised in Auckland was £2006 1/9 and other parts of the district £220-2 1/11; paid in dividends £2408 13/ in Auckland and £2028 7-2 for the rest of the district under the deputies.