Dunedin Special.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5171, 16 March 1888, Page 2

Dunedin Special.

[special to daily telegraph.]

[OWN COEBESPONDEOT. —BY TELEGBAPH.]

Dunedix, Last night, THE POLICE CHANGES.

The Star says that among the police changes Lispector Broham, "of Timaru, goes to Auckland vice Inspector Shearman, retired. It is proposed to amalgamate the Oamaru and Timaru districts under Inspector Thompson, who will have his headquarters at Oamaru, but his supervision will extend from the Rangitata in the north to Palmerston and M'Rae's in the south.

LIVELY MEETING OF CREDITORS,

' There was a lively meeting of creditors ' iv the estate of Patcrson and McLeod, grocers, this afternoon, 'irie meeting had x been convened in answer to a requisition f signed by a number of creditors in order j that an offer of Maurice Joel, in the sum of 4 £2090 for the whole estate, might bo coni sidered. Those signing the requisition wished to see the debtors get back the E estate (Joel's offer being on their offer), [ and they expected that things were all cut - and dried in their favor, but to their sur- . prise, just before the* meeting was held, Glendinning and Dobie put in a tender in the sum of £2250. Joel's party contended ■ that this latter tender was too late, and ought not to be received, but the supervisors (Messrs Hudson and Sinclair) and others > urged that the highest tender ought ; to bo accepted. On the motion being put • that Joel's otfer be accepted Mr Denniston, 5 president of the Chamber of Commerce, ex--1 pressed the opinion that it would be unwise } on Mr Joel's part to press the resolution ■ dealing with his tender. Had Mr Jeol ■ considered ihe effect that, carrying the 3 resolution would have on the trading com--3 inunity r It wotdd bo unvriso on tho part 1 of the creditors to deliberately refuse to 3 accept the highest offer made. " After this 3 expression of opinion Mr Joel withdrew his 5 offer, but iv doing so said that the harsh ■ manner in which the supervisors had acted : in the estate was no credit to them. They ■ would not listen to tho proposal to keep open the place and maintain the business, » but they wanted to crush the debtors—a very ' ] old established firm—with an iron hand. 1 Some of those whose names were among 3 the book debts had leit the colony, while 3 others were unable to pay their way. Tho ' supervisors had been very unfeeling in ' their conduct throughout; indeed, it seemed 1 that there was a sort of prejudice against " tho debtors. He (Mr Joel) could not 1 justify the action of the debtors; still, if ' friends asked to come forward and assist ' them to get a living in future, the eupert visors had no right to act as a tribunal. If the debtors had acted wrongly, they would i be called to account when makiug application for their order of discharge. Tho t supervisors (Messrs J. Hazlett and H. Rose) replied warmly to the attack made on them, Mr Hazlett remarking that when debtors were forced into bankruptcy through j misfortune, and came forward in astraight- ' forward manner, sympathy was invariably i shown to them, but as one of the supervisors p ho declared that this estate ought to be l looked into. It was his own impression , that they had not yet got to the bottom of . it, ?Jr Hudson, another creditor, said that . sympathy was very well, but there was a '. great dea! too much of it in Dunedin in reference to bankrupts, and that was the reason why so many people learned to do ? away with sentiment and apply practical > common senso to their business relations, i Bankruptcies would lieeome less frequent, • he thought, should they support those men ) who paid their way, and that those ) who could not should seek some other i sphere. Ultimately the meeting adjourned .«<"/«• /lie witiiout coming to any conclusion. : The supervisors will probably call for fresh tenders, aud failing to get an offer of • £2000, will put- the business up for sale by r auction.