TWO LAUDABLE PURSUITS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 December 1924, Page 9

TWO LAUDABLE PURSUITS.

FARMER. AND BAILIFF. . BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS. [To follow the laudable pursuit of farming and the equally laudable occupation of bailiff of the Hawera Magistrate’s Court, and to be declared a bankrupt was the unenviable experience ol' William John Melville, described as a farmer, of Hawera, ]

i Bankrupt’s written statement was as | follows :—Jn June, 1919, I was transferred to 'Hawerai asi bailiff of the Magistrate’s Court, my salary and emoluments averaging from " about £350 to £4op per annum. In August, 1919, 'I bought a farm on the South Road of about 136 acres for £6B 10s per acre from'W.- A. Quin. 1 had £2757 in cash, and this was spent as follows: To Quin on purchase of land, £1200; .to Quin for 56 cows, £Bl3 10s; to Quin for milking machine. £150; four more cows later, £BS 10s farm horses, implements, etc., £125; improvements on farm, £383. I only averaged 1481bs of butter-fat per cow for the season, and never more than JoOlbs. I was £93 11s out of pocket for the first, season. 1 tried a farm manager next year, sold many culls and bought heifers and milked less cows. 1 showed an actual loss of £39. For 1921-22 I showed a loss of £349, and endeavoured to sell, but unavailingly. In 1922 I was transferred to Wellington; and ray wife in October left Hawera and endeavoured to carry on the farm with the help of two men. 'The lass for that season was £291 4s lOd In July, 1922, I was sued by W. A. Quin for £67, his half-yearly interest on the farm, and had to cable to mv brother, Major J. B. Melville, of London. He sent me £2OO, for which 1 gave him a bill of sale over my furniture. The Lands Department then asked me to give them security over the rest- of my farm propei-ty. * I did so, giving them security over 20 cows, the milking machine, horses, dray and farm implements. In August, 1922, I issued a plaint for £3500 damages' for misrepresentation against W. A. Quin. The lajtter compromised by foregoing his mortgage of £1790 on the farm. I thought then that by working it myself I could rignt matters. but I was about £4OO in arrears with the first and second The latter would not reduce his mortgage, but offered to capitalise arrears if I gave him an order for 45 per cent, of the m,Uk cheques, which I did. 1 was already giving the Land Department 25 per cent, and had to pay off an overdraft of £lO per month at the B'ank of New Zealand; The second .mortgagee" managed to Jet the bank be paid first, and consequently I got deeper in arrears, and the mortgagees took action against me under the Mortgages . Extension Act and obtained possession of the farm in August, 1923. I was negotiating to lease a’ farm at Auroay but the 'Government refused to let me carry on and sold me up a fortnight before the mortgagees took possession. J. think their action was very harsh, as I had more than doubled their security on the understanding that they would stick to me. I had also reduced the principal from £7OO to £6OO and the interest was not in arrears.

The position with regard to my house in Argyle Street was as follow: In October, 1920, I purchased a house from Budge for £1760. I paid £6OO cash , and gave Rudge a promissory note for £l5O The rest of the moneys was bin mortgages of £7OO and £3OO at 6 and 8 per cent, respectively. I spent £SO in improvements on the house. When the promissory notes fell due I could not meet them. Rudge obtained judgment against me. About September, 1923, Rudge took proceedings for bankruptcy against me with the alternative that I should give him hack the house, which I did. I then had hopes of pulling through, 'but realise now that I should have filed then. In 1922 I was. transferred to Wellington, hut . owing to recurrence of injuries received in action in Palestine with the N.Z.E.F., I was retired as medically unfit on a pension. I have been under medical treatment* since then, and only a month ago was an inmate of the New Plymouth hospital. Owing to that fact J have been unable to obtain any regular employment. I attribute my failure to, buying too high-priced land, together with a. bad herd of cows. The action of one of my creditors compelled me ultimately to file. 17

In his examination the D.O.A ascertained that the bankrupt considered he had a. fair chance of collecting a portion of his book debts He was compelled to file owing to the pressure of one of his creditors. .The meeting lapsed for want of a quorum.