SOFT GOODS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 29, 3 August 1925, Page 3

SOFT GOODS

SALESWOMAN'S DIFFICULTIES.

The affairs of a saleswoman, Sirs. Mary -de Silva, of Wellington, were' investigated at a meeting of her creditor* to-day. The Official Assignee (Mr. S. Tansley) presided. Liabilities amounted to £335 10s sd, the unsecured creditors being Fodlalla Khouri, softgoods manufacturer, £145 10s sd; and Alexander and Co., softgoods manufacturers, £190. The written statement by bankrupt was to the effect that she had' beeii in business for about seven 'or eight years as a softgoods saleswoman. When occupying a shop in Vivian street about ■ five years she found that the turnover would not provide 'the necessary profit, and, consequently, she took the stock round the country,. selling from sample rooms. The Vivian street lease' and shop fittings were sold for about £125. In one year she had done business with F. Khouri to the extent of over £2000. Regarding transactions with Alexander and Co., the bankrupt stated: "The present debt is mostly for goods, sold by him to me through my daughter, when I was away on the West Coast. At the price at which they were sold I was unable to do any good with them, and after endeavouring to get him to take them back I sold them at a heavy loss." The bankrupt believed that she was quite solvent up till last September, and considered that had she made her usual profit -she could" have paid her way. A great deal of the stock I purchased at this time, she alleged, proved to be unsaleable, and, being unable to meet her accounts with the usual promptitude, her credit was stopped by both firms. She had no assets, neither land, money,. nor furniture, and she had children to support. The two small books of account which she.kept were, she stated,. stolen . from a friend's motor car in Palmerston North, together with other effects. The loss was immediately communicated to tho poloce, but tho lost property had not been recovered.

In answering various questions the bankrupt repeated that her profits were considerably affected by high purchase prices, and she alleged that goods similar to 'those supplied to her had been supplied to others at a much smaller price, wlnle some goods did not coma up, to the standard of imported articles. She had had to support four of her five children until some months ago. The books which she kept were in a, suit case when stolen.

The meeting was adojurned sine die.