ESTATE OF T. J. MEREDITH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11058, 9 May 1899, Page 3

ESTATE OF T. J. MEREDITH.

TO THE EDITOR. ' * Sir,—lll the country news of Friday's Herald, I read an account of the meeting of creditors in the estate of T. J. Meredith, a bankrupt. This account is so misleading that I, as one of the creditors interested, feel myself in justice bound to rectify it. Iho lenient that there wore five creditors present and one by proxy, is wrong; it should read two creditors present and five by proxy, and, what is more, the five proxies were hold by one man, Mr. Gresham, a solicitor of this town. Mr, Gresham, on behalf of his proxies, elected himsolf chairman. The debtor's statement- was read, and I was quite satisfied his position was brought about •by . pure misfortune and a great amount of illness in his family, and for years ho has struggled against hone in his efforts to redeem his position. Notwithstanding this and the bankrupt's evident illness at the time, the chairman put him on oath, and for about four hours subjected the poor man to an examination which could easily have been done in twenty minutes. For fully half-,iD-hour Mr. Gresham questioned the bankrupt about what payments he had made to a brother solicitor and what was owing to him, etc., for services rendered the bankrupt in defending him in a recent aotion brought by the police. So disgusted at the proceedings were the other creditors and myself, that wo left the meeting before the examination was half over. The- way the mooting then stood was, no creditors present but five represented by Mr. Gresham as proxy, and Mr. Gresham proposed, seconded, and carried unanimously tho resolutions of which the report is a true cony. Mr. Gresham brought in these resolutions in face of the assertions he repeatedly made the bankrupt during the examination, that he was the bankrupt's friend, and was protecting the man's interest in conscquence. Personally I have known the bankrupt for upwards of 27 years, and although I have hid no dealings until the eleventh hour, as it ; wore, I should, knowing his statement to be ! true, bo very sorry to do otherwise than i assist him during his unhappy troubles.—l j am, etc., Henry Lewis. i To Awamutu, May 6, 1899.