'LUCK OF A CHINAMAN'

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11250, 30 June 1922, Page 5

'LUCK OF A CHINAMAN'

A CELESTIAL BANKRUPT SAYS HE LOST £7OO ON RACECOURSE. TO BE PROSECUTED. The meeting of the creditors of Wong Joe Yirn, fruiterer, of Masterton, and formerly of Auckland and Dannovirkc, w.as held in tho Dominion Farmers’ Institute yesterday, tho Official Assignee (Mr S. Tansley) presiding. MATCH—OR BIBLE? The proceedings were marked -by the careless demeanour of the Chinaman. Tim sat calm and immovable, and returned monosyllabic replies to the questions fired at him. “Do you .blow out a match?” asked Mr Tansley. “Eh?” was all that -could he got from Wong. “How you swear? You blow out a match or take Bible?” “Eh?” once more from the unperturbed Chinaman. “Do you belong to the Chinese Mission—you a Christian? asked a creditor. Wong mumbled the word “Clistian” doubtfully. Mr Tansley decided upon action. An open. Bible was placed in the Celestial’s hands and the oath Waa repeated to him ; while, to make sure, he was told to puff out the tome of a match at the same time. Then the examination commenced. BEGAN IN AUCKLAND. By sloiv and painful inquiries it was discovered that bankrupt had had a business in Auckland in 1915, and had gone bankrupt then. His partner had been George Chan, and his own name there was Jimmie Wong. “Did you go bankrupt then?” asked Mr Tansley.—“Yes, but he paid for it,” was the reply. Who paid for it?—George Chan. A creditor: And how did you get out of it?—George, he took the business. Bankrupt stated that he had left Auckland in 1917, and had gone to i Eketahuna, where he had bought a business in confectionary and fruit from a cousin. In 1918 ho had shut up his shop and run aivay. “ NO MONEY!” “Why did you do that?” asked Mr Tansley.—“Because I had no money to pay.” What did you do with it? —I lost it on racing. How much do you reckon that you lost?—More than seven hundred pounds. Seven hundred pounds on racing?—■ Yes. Bankrupt stated that from Eketahuna he had gone to Christchurch, where he had lived with a Chinaman named Chee Chu Lee, in High street. He had had no work there, and had stayed there for more than a year. A creditor: Didn’t you work in the shop ?—No. Did you go to the Christchurch races? —Yes. Mr Tansley: How much did you lose? —1 didn’t have a bet. Where did you go from Christchurch? —I went down to Dunedin for a few days; my friend was going to China. Where did yon get the money for this?—‘A friend lent it to me; his name was Louie Ung. I went to race meetings while at Eketalnma, journeying as far as Palmerston North and Wanganui. Mr Tansley: Your business at Eketahnna was a good one?—Yes. THE PRESENT BUSINESS. admitted taking from £4O to £9O Tier week in his business. He thought that he owed a couple of hundred pounds to creditors there. Ho had a business in Master-ton at present, and was taking only from £9 to £ls per week. Mr Tansley: You average about £4 a day; you told me definitely up there that you were taking £5 to £lO daily. He was trading there as W. Y. Wing Sang and Co., said bankrupt. He had no partner there. A relation was in the shop looking after it for him at present. “CONVERTED INTO CASH.” On March 2nd, 1918, said the Official Assignee, the man’s books showed a credit of £738 4s 6d. When he had left Eketahuna he owed the bank a few pounds only. He must have converted his assets into cash. His brother Qiad given him some goods with which to start the business, said Yim. This brother traded in Masterton as Lung Kee, and also in Carterton under the name of W. O. Ling. He had a new bicycle, on which he paid £7; its price was £l7. When he had left Eketahuna he had taken only £lO with him. To a creditor: Tho money for the cycle had come ont of the business. Latterly he had been getting his fruit from Sing On Tie in Wellington. He owed Tie £6O or £7O. Lung Kee he owed the sum of £l3O or thereabouts. Stock in his shop consisted of fruit only, no sweets or tobacco, and was worth only £l4O. The fittings in the shop had cost him £l4O, and towards this Lung Kee lent him £IQ and another £ls. LIABILITIES AND CREDITORS. On tho arrival of Interpreter Jackson matters proceeded more easily; but little more information was forthcoming. His assets were £163 12s 6d. His liabilities totalled £619 14s lid. Tho principal creditors were:—A. G. Donald, Auckland, £37 7s 6d; M. O. White and Co., Hastings, £45 6s 9d; W. C. Ling, Carterton, £312 18s 6d; George Gee, Auckland, £74 9g 8d; Griffin and Son, Wellington, £l9 15s; Nestles Anglo-Swiss Milk Co., Wellington, £2l 17g 6d “Tho new creditors a® far as I can See won’t get anything,” remarked Mr Tansley. “We seize this stock now and pay the old creditors.” “A DISGRACE.” "He’s a disgrace to tho Chinese race,” said one creditor; “the Chinaman is usually a good honest fellow.” “Oh, I’ve been dealing with Chinamen for years, and their word is usual, ly as good as their bond,” supplemented another. “This man has brought disrepute upon an honest class of tho business community,” went on the first speaker, “and if we can ‘put him up,’ in common fairness to the others, we should.” “Of course, you know the law is a hard tiling,” remarked Mr Tansley. “A man is not permitted to go on ia this manner,” said another credivoi “He may not go bankrupt a second time without declaring any previous bankruptcies.” “Ho absconded before; there’s no doubt about it,” was tho remark of another. TO BE PROSECUTED. Bankrupt said that lie had nothing to offer. Hio brother had given liim

the money with which to carry on his business. One creditor moved that a prosecution should be made. “The thing that wo want to get at is to stop this mat trading again.” said one of those pTesent; “and I’d rather see that done without proceedings if we can do it without compounding a felony. This proposal to prosecute was seconded and carried unanimously.