BANKRUPTCY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1354, 10 February 1898, Page 30

BANKRUPTCY.

Friday, February 4. (Before Mr Justice-Edwards.) Richard C. Humphries, of Wellington, carpenter, a bankrupt, was granted his discharge subject to the payment of a sum equal to 5s in the £ to his creditors. The application of Thomas John Chapman, of Wellington, painter, a bankrupt, for his discharge, was opposed by Mr Tolhurst on behalf of Messrs R. and E. Tingey. It appeared from statements made by the Official Assignee (Mr James Ashcroft) and admissions by the bankrupt that the latter did business with Mr R. Martin until his account amounted to £145. When it stood at. £BO he gave Mr Martin security over some property at Shannon. After that he went to Messrs R. and E. Tingey, and got into debt to them to the 'extent of £B2. Very little was obtained from; his contracts when they were balanced up. There was barely enough to pay the wages due, and that only by the bankrupt’s brother’s action in reducing his proof. In reply to Mr Tolhurst, the bankrupt said he had made no misrepresentations to Messrs R. and E. Tingey. He had dealt with them years previously, when he had paid their accounts. Most of what he got from them immediately prior to his bankruptcy went into the contracts. The amount of the contracts he had in hand at the time of his bankruptcy was a little over £IOO. He then owed about £3OO. In reply to Mr Ashcroft the bankrupt said he was at present getting 9s per day when he was at work. He had a wife and five children. In reply to His Honor the bankrupt said that after he filed his petition the contracts went anyhow. The tenderers above him did not send in a much higher price. He was about seven months in the house through illness. His Honor said the bankrupt ought to have stopped long before he did. His discharge would be suspended for six months. A long time was not fixed because there did not appear to be anything like fraud. But tradesmen must not carry on business at the risk of the persons who supplied them with goods. The application of Andrew D. Suttie, of Wellington, salesman, a bankrupt, for his discharge, was adjourned till the next sitting of the Court to enable an assignment, which had been agreed upon, to be made. Mr Wilford appeared to support the application, and Mr Bolton to oppose. In the case of Robert John Kingan, of the Lower Hutt, horse-trainer, the creditors offered no objection, and the bankrupt, who was represented by Mr Wilford, was granted his discharge. The Official Assignee was granted his release in the matter of 70 estates. _ The Court was adjourned till the 28th March. The Official Assignee in Bankruptcy has accepted the tender of George E. Hall, £9O, for the stock-in-trade and fixtures in the estate of Robert Cowie, of Waikanae, storekeeper. The statement of affairs in the estate of George Bertinshaw, of Wellington, commercial agent, a bankrupt, has been lodged with the Official Assignee, It shows that the total debts, which are due to unsecured creditors, amount to £B2B Is lid. The total assets amount to £490, made up as follows Stock-in-trade, estimated at £460; book debts, estimated to produce £lO ; and furniture, £2O. Following are the principal creditors : —Messrs Hiscott, Gray and Co., London, £322 Os 7d ; Mr J. P. Hooton, Auokland, £316 14s ; Mr T. Charlton, Wanganui, £9O ; and Messrs Jones and Co., Wanganui, £3l 9s. In his written statement to the Official Assignee, he states that ho commenced business in November, 1894, as a hat manufacturer and importer at Wanganui. His capital was then £IOO clear. His continued this business until May, 1895, when he commenced the business of an indent agent. Through

the late arrival of goods ordered from London he suffered a loss of £2OO ; through the nondelivery of other shipments, a loss of £350 ; and he also lost £172 16s lOd through bad debts : total, £722 16s lOd. Michael Higgins, of Wellington, publican, was on Saturday adjudged a bankrupt on his own petition. A meeting of the creditors in his estate has been fixed for the 14th instant.