A PROPAGANDIST’S TROUBLES

Otago Witness, Issue 3615, 26 June 1923, Page 7

A PROPAGANDIST’S TROUBLES

MR G. S. THOMSON’S STATEMENT. A meeting of the creditors of George Samuel Thomson, agent, bankrupt, was summoned for Monday forenoon, but no quorum gathered. Mr Irwin appeared on behalf of Watts and Co. The list, of unsecured creditors gave a toi a! of £IOB 12s. 1 here were no secured creditors. The bankrupt gave the reasons for his bankruptcy in a written statement. 11 is liabitilies he gave as follow: —Union Felt Hat Company, £9O; late George H. Gray, £7: Columba Tea Company, £6; Otago Daily Times, £1 17s 6d—making an approximate total of £lO5. His assets were nil. From ISO 6 to 1923 he did fairly well in business for himself. As a result of his taking part in the 1913 strike on the side of the strikers and standing for Parliament in 1914 he was boycotted by Dunedin business people till he was compelled lo leave Dunedin. By that time he had acquired interests in property to the extent of over £IOOO, but lost this through deception. In 1916 he opened a small office for himself in Christchurch, but through his taking an active part in the anti-conscription fight, the Christchurch business people boycotted him. He next took a position in Wanganui, but after doing fairly well there for 18 months he suffered five months’ boycott from Wanganui business people because of his activities in helping to reorganise the Wanganui Trades and Labour Council, for his opposition to conscription of Labour, and particularly for the part he took in helping to force the hands of Sir James Allen to grant the inquiry into the brutality connected with the Wanganui military prison. At the end of 1918 be . returned to Dunedin to look for work, and accepted a position as manager of the l- nicn Felt Ilat Factory. Because he reorganised the business along lines that were to benefit as regards wages and conditions tne workers in the factory he was dismissed by the directors without a moment's notice. To prevent a strike on the part of his fellow-workers, .he gave them a few davs’ holiday on lull pay. His agreement with the company provided for six months’ notice on either ride, but the directors, acting under legal advice, refused to pay him anything. He sued them, but lost his ease. Oil a. counter-claim for damages through loss of profits the magistrate gave judgment against him for £75. That accounted for his liability of £9O. Business firms antagonistic to working class propagandists would not employ hi»L but for nearly two years he had mnnagetr to eke out a living as a house-to-house canvasser. Dicing part cf this time he was employed by the late G. 11. Gray as a retail tea traveller, but because of pressure brought to hear be lost Ids position. Again he unsuccessfully sued for wages, and the £7 7s owing to the estate of the late George IT Gray was for judgment against hint on counter-claim. He held another position as accountant and wholesale traveller for nearly two years, and again pressure was brought to bear on his employer because he would not give up his propaganda work. Ife had no assets and could make no offer io his creditors. The Official Assignee pointed cut Mat the meeting was quite informal, and had no power to take action, as there was not a quorum present. Jhe bankrupt said he was willing fo answer any ouestions or give any infermai:ott he could, but Ins statement showed he could not make any offer. The Official Assignee adjourned the case sine die.