AN OLD COLONIST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 187, 2 May 1908, Page 13

AN OLD COLONIST.

RETIREMENT OF AN" OFFICIAL ASSIGNEE ■ INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. , \ (BY TBIiEOBAFH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) ' Christohuroh, May 1.. , iMn.G. L. Greenwood, official assignee in ■'bankruptcy bore, presided on Thursday lit ; 'hisi'last- meeting :of creditors, as ,ho now ,retiros on : superannuation. Ho has held his . . office, hero for sixteen years, and has earned tho■ confidence and• esteem of business men, : and tho .gratitudo of many bankrupts, for .'tho'.; consideration, consistent with his duty: to tho Stato anil tho-creditors, which ho' ■ •«extended to thorn. • ; ; -In -convocation with a representative •of the a Christchurch " Press," Sir. Greenwood .briefly/ sketched his career..' He was for several years in the service of tho Nelson •Provincial' Govornmont, - the position of 'Clork of ■ tho Wardens Court : heme; tho ■ principal-: offico then , held by him, though hisother offices wero? multitudinous. On a tho 'abolition of the provinces, Mr. Groen/i wood, .wont . out of the service, but, a year i -later sho was appointed Assistant-Clerk of • • . .tliov Magistrate's Court at Oamar\i. Later •; on:'ho became Clerk of the Court at Gisr \ .'borne; .and thence was transferred. to , tho ' District Court. • His appointment * to; tho i offices of. Sheriff and . Registrar of the Supreme Court followed, together, with, a host •,yof a others of,: a .minor: character. Ho re- • 'mainod i in, Gisborno ■ for sixteen years, and ; in. September, 1891, ho was transferred to phristchurch with ; the office of Official AsBigjnee. ' :.l: ' ' . •■.-As "he. landed: m Now Zealand in -1843, " Mr.. Greenwood can • claim with some pride .. .that he .'was a very early colonist. His •--••..-fatherj r -..;Dr.-. Greeny.'ood; was one of- the original' lahd purchasers under tho .New Zealand' Company; and Mr. Greenwood, then in his Childhood, landed with him. at Nelson . in- the: year mentioned. ; Not many months . after-..Air. Greenwood landed the WairaU , occurred.'"- The settlers of. Nelson went about in fear and trembling, as. it was quite on the cards that Tc Rauparaha would •. extend his sanguinary excursion .in their , direction, % and for a' considerable time matters wero greatly disturbed. ' ■ Mr. Greon- ; at I 'Motueka,';: and :.' there the Maoris debated for a considerable . time', whether they should burn out the ■. pakehas who had 'settled there or not. :>: well remember one fencing disputo," said Mr. Greenwood reminiscently .to a ■ ..H^.'Press'';'; reporter, v. 1 'The .Maoris • refused;.;to, ~:i'\'allptt;,:'a 'settler.' to ''fenced; his:;laiul;;''ahd:'the . : whites fl'ahd'.'Natives- 1 "metin 'arms," three ■ mornings running. The spokesman 'for tho . whitos - was Captain Moore,, an old- trader,. and : a man of inflexible)' determination. He ' threw down tho gauntlet by declaring that :. if /avMaori put a hand on the fenco.ho;would • : chop -tho hand off, and ho was backed up • ,by -all .tho .white- sottlers- 'that could bo ' ■ mustered-and 'supplied with- a miscellaneous ■' assortment of arms. Many of tho whites : seen a sl^:'fire^;in i; their'lives." •4. Mr." Greenwood continued with a smile—:"lf \the . Maoris ' had attacked they would havo -they talked the matter over, , and ; ' 'the-determinedi front shown,. t-ogether with, . the 1 personal'popularity, '6f several of tho • sottlers, weighed: tho balance down on the i sido of: ,peace. ' My fathor's personal mfluenco rover the Natives,- acquired through ' "his' medical :and -surgical ministrations to " thom, had a great deal; to do with the. •' avoidance of 1 bloodshed on ,that , occasion." ••:" -In - the- course of his. bankruptcy. taper)- ; - enco :'in -Gisborno and-.-Christchnrch,. Mr. Greenwood has dealt, with. over. 800 cases. experience has not been such as to givo'me a poorer opinion of human: naturo - than had .previously entertained," ho said. : i "Whenever, there-has.been a.case.of. genuine r misfortune,: brought about by . Uncontrol- '; liable' causes; the : creditors ; generally have i "^'exhibited: a e;kindly;.'and considorato spirit •:-. the>bankrupt. .'»ln:many instances they '' have' done * more /than:' one-, could -.pos? ; sibl'y l 'expect:, A very. small 'proportion of • s tho cases which havo'passed through! my • •han'ds' were.the: result. ofr:delibcrato...villainy, • •"V-'on-' theV part -:of the-'baiikrupt.!'.. : ; ■' ~"«'.'Tho "'principal -' causes' of, bankruptcy? Well; a large proportion, are- duo to people embarking in businesses in . which they have ' ■' had -little or no provious' experience, with •- -■ or' no capital. 1 Other people have no idea 'of bookkeeping,- and get into difficulties ■ ' through that ignorance. Other, bankruptcies 'arc brought about by pure misfortune,' .and these- form a 'large - class: For 'instance, 'farmers'- have been utterly ruined through . :i; hailstorms : destroying crops ; which; were promising- liberal'.returns = for; tho..'«■ -labour •' . and ', mouey • spent' on : them; -. • As,- to the Bankruptcy: Court, being. improperly - used to '. '' got'rid: of 'liabilities;.'l .think that,., ivith very ■few'f''exceptions; >ho ./one' " comes' ,4nto th 6'! Coutt' who. is not absolutely justified in ; ! doing so- Fraudulent cases aro a vcty sfliall minority indeed."