A RABBITER’S FAILURE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19529, 11 July 1925, Page 19

A RABBITER’S FAILURE.

MEETING OF CREDITORS. BUSINESS RELATIONS OF MAN ANT) WIFE. A meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of George Samuel Hall, rnbbiter, of Ettriok, was held yesterday afternoon in the office of the official assignee (Mr C. W. Cave), who presided. Tho bankrupt was represented by Mr J. S. Sinclair._ The Bankrupt, in the course of his sworn statement, said that ho purchased a car for hire and ran it for two years and a-half. tie got into debt, and could not keen his payments up, and the mortgagee took possession of it. lie bad paid oft’ a good many debts after commencing rabbiting. Ho did fairly well for some years, but ho had struck a number of poor blocks, and ho borrowed money to keep going, always expecting to do hotter. lie had started off well this season, but when skins went Up in price tho owner of the land told him that ho would do tho rabbiting himself. Bankrupt wont to another property belonging to a small runholdor, but there were few rabbits loft. Ho had a family of seven, their ages ranging from a year and a-half to 13, and it took all ho could make to keep them. He had to use bags this winter, ns ho could not afford to buy extra blankets. Bankrupt estimated his total deficiency at £295 4 s Bd. The statement showed tho following to be the unsecured creditors: —N. Campbell (Miller’s Flat), £5 Columbia Tea Company, £7 10s- D.R.A., £tfi 18s Id; Louis Faigan (Millor)s Flat). £9 3s lOd ; H. Haig (Roxburgh), £5 11s fid • N. Harliwich (Roxburgh), £2 13s 3d; Irvine and Co., £2B 18s lOd; Commercial Agency, Ltd. (Wellington), and Jago, Biggs, Ltd. (as assignee of importers), £l2 15s fid; D. R. Jones (Lawrence', £8 14s 2d; A. and W. M'Carthy. £5 5s fid; H. M'Nnnhton, £3 6s fid; Wra. Necs and Co., £2 9s fid; J. F. Tamblyn, £ll 4s 8d • Riach and M'Lonnan, £lfi 17s fid • Tonkin and Co., £2 10s; Tumor Bros.. £46 11s 8d; Waters, Ritchie, £6B 13s fid; H. Winmill (Lawrence), £8 6s 3d; Crocket and Blackham (Roxburgh), £3 13s lid; W. J. P. M'Culloch, £l7 15s. Tho secured creditors were stated as: United Starr-Bowkott Building Society Hirst mortgage over property), £461 19a; Leopold Faigan (Miller’s Flat, second mortgage over property), £l3B Os 3d. To Mr Moore (appearing for a creditor): Bankrupt know all the time that ho wins in debt. Ho commenced rabbiting in 1917. and ho was in debt then. Ho had another man with him, and tho skins w-ero sold in bankrupt’s name. Throe winters ago ho had 6500 skins. Ho had never handled any money. Ho understood that his wife had approached Waters, Ritchie for an advance. Ho denied having written a letter to tho firm asking for an advance of £4O and later for £2O. Ho supposed that his wife had obtained tho money, but ho had not seen any of it. Ho denied having written a letter (produced) to Messrs Moore, Moore, and Nicol. Ho obtained £260 for skins in 1925 and £4O from shearing. Ho was in debt at the beginning of that year, but ho could not say tho amount. To the Official Assignee: In 1923 ho earned over £3OO, but ho was out of work for some time in 1924, and ho did not commence rabbiting until July. In answer to the Official Assignee, Mr Faigan, one of tho secured creditors, said that ho had done business with the bankrupt’s wife, and ho had offered to lend bankrupt £SO. Ho was prepared to find £2OO if necessary, but had discovered that bankrupt’s position was hopeless, and his solicitor advised him to drop the matter altogether. To Mir Sinclair: AH the business had been done with bankrupt's wife. Ho did not know tho bankrupt was insolvent when the bill of sale was drawn up. To Mr Moore, bankrupt said that his wife had four shares in a starr-bowkott society. Ho could not say what tho property was valued at. Mr Sinclair said that the man had boon honest and hod worked hard, but ho had boon unable to meet his obligations. He had a family of seven, and as ho averaged only about £5 a week it would be impossible for him to liquidate his debts at tho present time, and it was no good him making an offer. Mr Moore said that ae far a« Waters, Ritchie’s debt was concerned the money had allegedly boon obtained under false pretences either on tho part of bankrupt or his wife. The amounts had been secured on a promise that skins would bo forwarded to the firm, but bankrupt had not done this. It was a poor rabbit-or who could not make £2O a week at tho present time. Bankrupt should not bo permitted to go soot free. Apparently bis wife got the money, and bankrupt tho debts. •

To Mr Sinclair, bankrupt said that bis wife handled all tho business. did not know that she had apparently written to various rabbitskin dealers asking, for advances.

Mr Moore remarked that it was time that tho .’bankrupt took an interest in his own affairs Bankrupt said that ho wwa prepared to “give it a go.” It was finally decided, on the motion of Mr Faigan, that bankrupt should pay 15s in the £ to his creditors.