A COMPANY'S AFFAIRS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 10 September 1921, Page 7

A COMPANY'S AFFAIRS

REQUEST FOR PUBLICITY

(by telegraph—press association.) ■'■ AUCKLAND. Sept. 7. The investigation into the affaiTs of A. R. McNeil and Co., Ltd., merchants, was continued in the Supreme Court building yesterday, the Registrar (Mr. Stuhbs) presiding. Mr. Mays, who represented petitioning creditors, appeared before Mr. Justice Adams, and requested that, in the interests of commercial morality, full publicity should be granted the statements of witnesses.

His Honor said it was an almost universal practice that such examine j tions as these should be held in private ; in the English Courts. He knew of no . order for publicity befog made except j where fraud was alleged. This inquiry was not in the nature of an open Court. His^ Honor wished to safeguard the power and duty of the Court to have inquiries conducted to determine the details of the case. If counsel made application based on proper affidavits that a- good prima facie case of fraud had been made out. and that in the interests of the public an order for publicity should be made. His Honor would consider the facts. Meantime Press reporters are excluded. liv the course of his remarks, Mr. Justice Adams commented upon the fact that* bankrupts were commonly called I before official assignees for examination. Press reporters being permitted to attend and publish statements made. "I wish to say,'?-he continued, "that I consider that the practice of public examination is an extremely undesirable one, and one that, according to English authorities at least, and I nope according to New Zealand practice in the future, wUI be resorted to only where there are grave reasons for such i a course." , .