THE PEPPER KING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 286, 2 December 1936, Page 18

THE PEPPER KING.

WILL RETIRE TO FARM. PRISON TERM NEARLY ENDED. (Special.—By Air Mail.) LONDON, November 14. Mr. Garabed Bishirgian, Armenianborn financier, imprisoned at Wandsworth after last February's pepper trial, is expected by villagers at Ocklcy, in Surrey, to renounce the city and become a farmer. They are expecting his release from prison any day. His 700-acre farm, which adjoins his Tudor house and grounds here, has been prepared for his return. At week-ends before the pepper crash he lavished his money and spare time on making the farm one of the most efficient and up to date ill the country.

There has been great activity there in the last few weeks. Rows of new brick cowshed*! and piggeries have been whitewashed. The whole farm has been tidied up; even the roads have been swept clear of leaves and the hedges trimmed. During the four years Mr. Bishirgian has owned the estate he has acquired 200 cattle and 000 pigs, built modern cowsheds and piggeries and installed automatic milkers for his dairy herd. A villager who knows Mr. Bishirgian well said this week: "He once told me that he would like to settle down on the' farm. At week-ends he often used to help with the work, supervising tlie pig feeding and the automatic milking. He is interested in all the details of farming. We villagers would like him to stay. He is popular here. When the crash came he told the tradesmen to send in their bills and paid them .all off before he went away."

Mr. Bishirgian is a bachelor. There will be nobody to greet him here on his return except his employees.