A CARRIER’S BANKRUPTCY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3803, 1 February 1927, Page 9

A CARRIER’S BANKRUPTCY.

STATEMENT DISBELIEVED BY - BY ASSIGNEE. WELLINGTON, January 27. The vagaries of a motor truck which would not keep to the road were related to-day by Patrick Farley, carrier, of Petone, as the chief cause of his having to seek the protection of the Bankruptcy Court. The amount owing to unsecured creditors was £350 Is 2d, while his assets were nil. The Bankrupt, in his statement, explained that he was discharged from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in 1919 and he obtained from the Repatriation Department a grant for the purpose of starting a carrying business at Petone. He continued the business until early in Swhen he disposed of it. The purprice was £135, and this sum was still owing. During the six years he was in business at Petone his nef profits averaged about £4 a week'. After selling he was out of work for about nine months’ and then he commenced a carrying business between Wellington and the Wairarapa, which he continued until the beginning of November last. Numerous accidents to his truck, he stated, involved him in large repair bills. The time lost during repairs made it impossible for him to keep to his time-table, and he gradually lost his business connection, and was forced to return the truck and hand over his connection to a Mr Hadfield. He receded no money from Hadfield for the goodwill of the business. At the present time he had no assets and no money whatever, and had a wife and two young children to support. His wife had been practically an invalid for the past three yeais, and'-had to be looked after bv her mother. In answer to a question, the bankrupt said his wife owned a house and a service motor car.

The Official Assignee said he did not believe that the house belonged to the wife, and stated that he must look into v-rT “ w t ® r ’ . y h -y 4° you not work for r j e ot for’ your wife;” he added The meeting was adjourned sine die to enable the official assignee to inquire into the question of the instalments paid on the house property.