MAORI FARMER'S FAILURE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10109, 1 June 1917, Page 5

MAORI FARMER'S FAILURE.

A meeting of creditors in tho estate of Heremaia Maika, farmer, of Baiuesse, was held this afternoon before Mr G. J. Scott, Deputy Official Assignee. Tho onjy creditors represented were the New Zealand Loan Company and Watohoru and Co. Mr Beale appeared for the bankrupt. Bankrupt s statement of accounts showed unsecured debts amounting to £723 7s 9d, and assets £530, the only scoured creditor being (ho State Advances Office for £250 over the assets (land).

j In his statement bankrupt said that ho \vas occupying thirteen acres of land at . Baiuesse, lieing the unleased portion of 43 I acres of Native freehold land owned by | himself and his son. Bankrupt’s interest j was 21 acres and Ids son’s the same. Thirty acres were leased for 21 years at 12s 6d > per aero to a Mrs Phyllis Jones. The whole 45 acres was mortgaged to the State Advances Office to secure £250, and tho above vent was assigned to tho Department, to secure the payment of instalments. For some years bankrupt’s son and daughter-in-law were milking on the 13 acres and an adjoining section owned by the latter, j but on her death a few months ago the cows were sold to defray tire cost of the funeral. For tho J past year bankrupt said he had been in J ill-hoalth, and had been in the doctor’s j hands, and therefore unable to work, and I was still very weak. He had no money. Ho j had only four cows, and us he was being j pressed by some of his creditors for payment of debts, and having no hope of pa-y----ing them, he had decided to file his petition in bankruptcy I Questioned as lo his dealings with the Loan Company, bankrupt stated that he I had not been asked as i th • number of stock ho owned. The Assignee: How is it that you ran tip an account of over £SOO with a drapery linn? What was the beginning of it? Bankrupt stated that he had made cash purchases for varying amounts, and had been allowed to take other goods on credit, which he did. the account gradually amount ing to the sum stated. In reply to i question, bankrupt said I recent tangi had cost him £Bl. He had no offer to make his creditors. The meeting then adjourned.

Jin- death is reported of .Mr J. }i. Bo 'htrd. of Onuondville. .Mr Boviard was l»«m at Donegal, Ireland, and came to New Zealand about 50 years ago. After some year.- ol prospecting on various New Zealand gold fields, he went to Hawke’s Bay. and wa.s employed on the Mt. Herbert Estate, at Waipukurau. He went (o Onnoudville in 1866, and made his home t here ever since. He took considerable in t crest and an active part in the life of the township, and was chairman of the school committee for a number of years.

"I have heard it is costing the Govern I ment £3 per head per week to keep the Germans on Somes Island.” This statement was made by a member of a deputation of returned soldiers waiting upon Sir James Allen yesterday. Sir Jaineat once said that the report was incorrect, but afterwards he said that he did not know exactly the cost per head, if the expense of keeping the guard and running the steamer across to tile island were taken into account. He did know that the cost of food for the prisoners was less than 2s per day, but the supply of water was ex pensive, as the whole supply had to be carried across to the island.

It was lifting that the representative of the Castlepoint County should make a. pi o test at the meeting of tho Wairarapa Patriotic Association against the aggregation of land, for in ids own district there has recently been a glaring ease of aggregation. But Castlepoint County is not singular. In other parts of the Wairarapa the aggregation of estates has been proceeding with detriment to the district and the Dominion as a whole. At a time when strong demands are being made for land for returned soldiers, at a time when the development of our internal resources is essential to tho prosperity of the country, it is surely a wicked thing that the aggregation of land should be allowed to proceed without cheek ui hindrance. The Government must be plainly told the feeling of the coinmmnTy in this, matter. —Wairarapa Age.

Yesterday was the first anniversary ! of the greatest naval battle of the present war, and, indeed, as regards the formidablenoss of the forces engaged, 'the greatest in the history of the world, it was on the afternoon of May 81. 119l(i, that Admiral Beatty’s battkci uiser squadron, cruising off the Danish coast, encountered the German | High Sea Fleet and kept it engaged I until Admiral Jellicoe came up with i the main battle-fleet. Then the German vessels made otf under cover of log and tho growing darkness, and j though the British Fleet continued to i cruise in the neighbourhood until tar into the morning of June I the enemy was careful to keep out of the way. having, in fact, returned to port. Tho losses on both sides were tremendous, consisting on the British side of six capital ships—the Queen Mary. Indefatigable, Invincible, Defence, Black Prince, Warrior, and eight destroyers, and on the German of 18 vessels, including some oi heavier tonnage and armament than the largest British los*-. The British fleet returned next day to its base, and was again ready for sea in a few hours. The German battleships have never ventured to sea since.