BANKRUPTCY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9123, 3 August 1888, Page 3

BANKRUPTCY.

MEETING OF' CREDITORS. An" adjourned meeting of creditors in the estate of Alex. McNeil was held at the Official Assignee's office yesterday. There were present: The debtor and his solicitor, Mr. Burton (for Mr. G. F. French), Mr. Cotter (for Dugend and for Dugend and YVoollams). The debtor was a goldminer and prospector, and paid his way up to eighteen months ago, when, becoming security for some machinery, he became involved, and had no luck since. The debtor was sworn, and further examined by Mr. Cotter. He said: I have now divulged the whole of my assets. It is quite true that I have not had sufficient luck to pay my way for the last 18 months. I have kept no books, but have receipts for payments. I was interested in a mine called the Blue Peter as a tributer, and got £640 worth of gold out of it in six months. That is about 12 raonths ago, and I have had nothing out of it since. Out of this money I paid all writes; my household account av;l a.« far as the money would go. " took up the Lucky Hit after leaving the Blue Peter about 10 months ago, and woiiud it for five months without any return, and gave it up because I could see nothing in it. I did not tell my creditors of any contention before I gave it up. Mr. Tierney then took it with Gear and Hunter, and I worked for them on wages for a fortnight. I consider I earned £6, which has not yet been paid, but I did not put it in my assets because I needed the money to live on. I filed because a judgment summons was issued against me. The £5000 mentioned in my sworn statement was for Golden Crown mine. The last sale of gold to the Bank of New Zealand was made by me seven months ago. It was about £440, and came from the Blue Peter tribute. I always got cash over the counter for any gold, and directly afterwards paid it away as far as it would go to my creditors. I had no bank pass-book. The manager gave me slips, and I dare say some of these ar" in my house at Coromandel. I think I can prepare an account of what I paid away from the receipts in my possession, and if I have nob got them all I will try to get the information from those I paid money to. I can do this for the past twelve months, and also obtain an account of what I have had from the banks. It is true that I said I | had no interest, either present or prospective, in any mine now ; but as a matter of fact I have four-ninths interest in the Golden Crown if the syndicate take the offer for £5000. In reply to Mr. Humphreys the debtor said :—I lent £200 to a man named Heaton for the purpose of floating the Golden Crown. It was to him I transferred my interest in the mine twelve months ago, and it was understood that if the mine was floated I was to get £5000, and the £200 was really given to Heaton for his trouble. Heaton has abandoned the floating, which has been taken up by Mr. Nixon and others, who will recognise my interest if successful. The meeting was then adjourned. DEBTOR'S EXAMINATION. William Harris, a bankrupt, in his examination before the Official Assignee yesterday, made the following sworn statement :—I have been employed as a jobbing gardener about Auckland for the last three or four years. During the whole of last summer work was very scarce. I was out of employment for weeks together. Having a wife and family to keep I got into arrears with various tradesmen for necessaries. During the whole of last spring and up to now I have not averaged more than three days' work a week at 6s a day. All my debts are running accounts extending back in some cases two years, and I have made instalment payments as fairly as I could amongst tho creditors. Most of them knew how I was placed, and did not press roe. One of them, however, threatened me, and put the bailiffs in my house, upon which I filed, and borrowed the money to enable me to do so. My debts amount to £20 2s lOd, and all I have consists of our clothing and about £7 worth of furniture. It aid not occur to me that the money I borrowed to file with would have paid 5s in the £to all my creditors. I see now that I should have offered them the chance of it.