Meeting of Creditors.

Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 103, 29 October 1888, Page 3

Meeting of Creditors.

A meeting of the creditors of Thomas Langdon, licensee of theKarori Hotel, Tina-kori-road, was hold this morning, the Offioial Assignee in the chair. The debtor submitted tho following statement:—" On or about the 15th of February last I purchased tho lease, stock-in-trade, and furniture of the Karori Hotel from Messrs. Staples and Young for the sum of .£IOOO, to be paid off by bills at .£lO a month. I entered into possession on 22nd February. In the negotiations for the purchase I was tbM that tho takings of the hotel averaged from .£4O to .£45 a week, but during the time I have been in occupation the best week's takinga have been "under .£2O, as my books will show. The expense of working the house being more than the takings, I bavo for somp time past been going steadily into dobt, but kept on in tho hope that trade would improve ; but I now consider I would not be actiug witli justice to my creditors if I continued any longer, and so I have filed my petition, and handed over everything I possess to the Official Assignee." • Mr. Edwards appeared forMesßrs. Staples and Young and Rhodes'lTrustees. Tho debtor (for whom Mr. Staveley, from Mr. Jollicoo's office, appeared) deposed that he was a married man with five children, all of whom wore dependent upon him. Before going into tho business he was superintending the erection of buildings. He went into tho hotel with £30 oasli, and hs had since paid XCO off tho purchase money. Tho lease was now iv Messrs. Staples and Younß-'j possession. The £200 referred to in tue fichedulo was money which Mra. Langdon bad when h« married her in 1876. When he built the first house in Pirie-street she lout him £50, nnd he reoeived the balance when ho put up the other houses. She kept tho money in tho Savings Bank. Ho bought some land at Ueaconsfiold ten years ago for. £48, and twelve months ago he was offored £125 for it by Mr. J. Appeiey, of Hastings. Tho rent was £12 10s a month, but ho had only paid £12. Replying to Mr. John Jack, the debtor said that Mr. Roxburgh, Messrs. Staples' manager, told him that the takings were botwoon '£45 and £50 weekly. Ho was sorry now that' he had not made enquiries from the previous tenant as to tho amount of the takings eaoh week. Mr. Edwards pointed out that the debtor had recoived as much for tho rent of the cottages attached to tho hotel as would have paid the landlord. Ho thought that if Langdon had not gone to expense in prosecuting a man for assaulting his wife in the hotel, debtor would have been able to pay his way. Tho debtor said that tho assault was committed all through the connection with tho hotel. Mr. Edwards replied that in addition to spending a good deal of money, the debtor, by instituting a prosecution, had driven trade away from the hotel. The Official Assignee stated that he would disposo of the assets as soon as possible, and the meeting then terminated.