CREDITORS MEET

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 175, 12 April 1923, Page 3

CREDITORS MEET

AN EMBARRASSED SAWMILL HAND

“GOING BACK AT RATE OF

£lOO A YEAR”

The first meeting of creditors in tho estate of John Warnock, sawmill hand, of Waikanae, was held yesterday. . The Official Assignee (Mr. S Tansley) presided, and the only creditors present were Messrs. W. Mculton (paperhanger, of Eketahuna), and W. E. Leicester (representing Mr. J. ARobertson). Bankrupt, in his filed statement, stated that he had been working for tho Eketahuna Borough Council up till January, 1922. In December of that year, two fires broke out at his nroperty, which caused damage to the extent of £2O. Tho illness of his wife caused "further expense, and he later moved to Waikanae. where ho received 17s. a day with no fixed time of employment. Tho debts to unsecured creditors werp shown as .£l9O 2s. 10d., and the only asspts were furniture valued at £27, having a deficiency of £163 2s. lOd. Tho principal creditors were:— J. A. Robertson (Horokiwi Valley, Petonp), £34 ss. lOd.; Hubert and Co. (grocers, Eketahuna), £29 95.; operative Association (merchants, Eketahuna), £l4 18s.; Butter (grocer, Waikanae), £ll 16s. 6d. ; Watts Bros, (motor agents, Eketahuna), £ll 10s.; W. Moulton (paperhanger, Eketahuna). £2l.

In reply to the Official Assignee bankrupt said that he had resided at Eketahuna for about seven years. He was a discharged soldier, and had attempted to obtain a house through the Repatriation Department. He resided in this house, and the officers of the board told him that unless he had the house papered, the roof painted, and a stove, put in they could not advance the money. Mr. Moulton had done the paperhanging. “"Why did you not filo when you were £4O in debt ” inquir'd. tho Official Assignee. “Because I though I would be able to pull myself together,” bankrupt replied. “I did not like the idea of filing then.” The Official Assignee: I think your creditors would have liked tho idea better then than they do now. Mr. Moulton stated that the bankrupt had come to him in Eketahuna, and had asked him to paper his house, stating that bp had obtained a loan to purchase it from the Repatriation Department. He met the bankrupt in the post office savings bank in Eketahuna, and asked him if he could not pay something off his account. "Bankrupt had renlied, “You go to h- : Mr. Moulton also said that the bankrupt had represented himself as returned soldier. “I did nothing of the kind,” replied the bankrupt, “I Raid I was a discharged soldier.” Mr. Leicester: What was the cause of the Arps you had. Were they not successful? The bankrupt: The first one burnt down the stable and all the- hay in it. Mr. Leicester: Were you after the insurance?—“No; we had no insurance on tho place.” “You have been -oing back at the rate of £lOO a year for the last two years,” -said the Official* Assignee; “you should have gone bankrupt before you ran up these debts for £l9O. As there was not n quorum of creditors present, the meeting was . adjourned sine die, the Official Assignee statinc that he would have inquiries made in Eketahuna.

A MISSING BANKRUPT The first meeting of creditors in the pstato of "William Ernest Cowin, carpenter, formerly of Karori, and subsequently of Shannon, was called for yesterday afternoon, but had to be adjourned because the whereabouts of thp bankrupt were unknown. Mr. S. Tansley, Official Assignee, presided, <md there were also present Mr. R. Kennedy (representing Messrs. Odhn and Co., the. Stewart Timber Co., and Jackson and Adams). ' Mr. H. F. Putnam, who ■ appeared for the bankrupt, explained .that tho proceedings had been taken in November last, .and Cowin had then been anxious to’ have his affairs cleared up. Ho had repeatedly called at his (Mr. Putnam’s office), but had evidently gone to work in the country. At the suggestion of tho Official Assignee, the meeting was adjourned until Thursday, April 26.