SEVEN DAYS ALLOWED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 15 June 1927, Page 6

SEVEN DAYS ALLOWED.

CARRIER FACES CREDITORS ? EX ACTING INTERR OGAT 10 X. BREEZY INTERLUDE ENSUES. •.The customary decorum associated with meetings at which the Deputy Official Assignee presides wa® disturbed at-Ha.,wera yesterday afternoon, when a creditor, becoming impatient with the replies given by the bankrupt under examination, took off Ills coat and assumed the demeanour which signals. direct action methods. For a lew seconds.the situation was tense til! the unruffled D.O.A. (Air. It. S. Sage) restored order with a firm reminder that such tactics could not be permitted. The- occasion was the adjourned meeting of creditor's in the bankrupt estate of Edward iGharileis Tapp, contractor, Hate of Haiwera. The creditors in attendance were: Alessns AV. A. Hewitt and A. K. North (representing the. New Zealnad Farmer's’ Co-op. Society), T. Hurrel (Messrs Hurrcill Bros.), and G. Roberts. Bankrupt was represented by Mr AV. Brown. The .financiial istatement filed cl i.solosed debts unsecured amounting to £B7 40s 5d against which was .shown assets comprising £3 (stock an trade at Palmerston -North) and £4 (furniture), a total of £7. The list of unsecured creditors was as follows: Farmers’ Co-op., £64 18s; R. T. Bullock, £l. 8-s; —, Townsend, £2; IfuiTell Bros., 8s 6d; G. Roberts, £ls; all of Hawera; Dominion Publishing Co. (AVel ling ton), £2 2s; —•• Emmett (Palmerston North) , £3 3s lid ; Borough Council (Palmerston North), £1 10s.

A book debt of £1 was shown against the Farmers’ Co-op. NO AVRITTEN STATEMENT. •Bankrupt submitted no. written statement q-f -bis affairs.

Examined on oath by the D.0.A., bankrupt ‘stated liis business at 11a-wer-a had been carried on partly on hi:s own account and partly with George Roberts, carrier. He first operated with ia motor truck leased from Roberts, but lie later purchased a motor truck from ia> Air. Crowley. The price was £59 and the money was paid in liis wile’s name. Repairs were necessary before it could be put- on the road, the debt of the Farmers’ Co-op. being contracted in this connection. His wife had been aware of this, but wais surprised at the amount charged for the repairs. The sum plaid for the truck was taken from bankrupt’s account, but had (been loaned by his wife who drew the money from, her Port Office savings book account. Prior to their marriage h-iis wife had earned money 'by letting rooms. He knew she had money when they married and he 'borrowed from her. The receipt for the truck was iff his wife’s name, though ,it Was understood that bankrupt was to repair it. The truck was registered in his wife’s name, but lie, had not iso advised, the Farmer's Co-op. All the, money he received went into, his bank account. Flop the last four months of his arrangement with Roberts, ait Hawera he was dividing hlallf the net result. Before that ho wais, receiving three-quar-ters 1 ,tihe remainder going to Roberts. -MOTOR. TRUCE SOLD. About two, months ago, possibly in Marsel l, he sold the truc-k, taken from Hawera to a man named Ala,tthews at Palmerston North, receiving £6Q cash besides la* further £l.O and a second hand, car a,s part payment. The £6O iiad gone in Jiving expenses, and he

considered there, was .about 10s in the Post Office Savings Bank in 'his wife’s name. Ho had not notified the Fanner’s Co-op that he was leaving the town. He was prepared to advise.his wife to hand over the ear, though he did not think it- would realise much. .Replying toj Mr. Roberts, bankrupt said that, lat one time lie fluid! had about £‘2oo in the hank. Work done for the Farmers’ 'Co-op. had -averaged about £42 a month, and during the last two years be had averaged about £8 a week m wages. 'Mr Roberts (said that as lie was. partly Teisponisdlbl© for credit being allowed bankrupt. he would be prepared to forgo his debt if bankrupt' would mlake a definite offer- to the other creditors. * Bankrupt said lie was not ao le to make the offer .suggested at present. CREDITOR’S COAT REMOVED

Ensuing phases of bankrupt’s examination by Air. Roberts, assumed _ a belligerent aispect when, after warning bankrupt .tu he straightfo.rwla.rd in his replies, the creditor removed his coat and .approached bankrupt. The dintimation that measures isberner than the usual verbal passages might possibly be introduced 'caused bankrupt to seek aanotuary behind it lie D.O.A. and the breeze subsided without developing into /the actual encounter, which for a few seconds fluid i,seemed imminent.

An .apology tendered by the creditor to ftilxe D.O.A. terminated the incident and. the examination proceeded. To Air. Brown. bankrupt said he had two children and Iliad been put to considerable expense through sickness. Questioned by Air. Hewitt, lie. maintained he Iliad not tohl the foreman of the Farmers’ Clo-op. garage that the truck was his. The foreman had told him the price for repairs, would be £35 or £4O and bankrupt would deny the foreman had stated the cost would be £SO o.r £6O. He knew the crown wheel would be the principal item, and thought it would probably cost £lB to. £2O. Answering Air. Roberts, .bankrupt admitted lie had not told the former that the truck had belonged to his wife. He admitted that Roberts had .advised him not to touch the truck. x To Air. Hewitt 'bankrupt .stated be had not been refused permission to work on tlie truck him,sell .at the Farmers’ 00-op garage. Counting h.i>s own time, the cost of the work would probably be in the vicinity of £IOO. Air. Roberts asked if bankrupt would make an offer to the Farmers’ Co-op. if the former were willing to forego hi® Claim on the estate.

Bankrupt replied that at the present juncture he -was net able to make a definite offer, but he would undertake to discharge the liability when lie was able to do. so. Air. North, suggested that as the Farmers’ Co-op wished the matter to lie pursued further. a ishort time be given 'bankrupt to make up bis mind to make an offer to the ©red i tons as well a® to hand over fhe car, otherwise the Official Assignee he .instructed to move for a public examination. Air. Hewitt moved that bankrupt be given seven days to make an offer, besides surrendering the car, otherwise a public examination be proceeded with. Tire motion was seconded hy Air. T. Hurrell and was Carried, the meeting being then ,adjourhed sine die.