THE DEBT CURSE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4897, 24 June 1887, Page 2

THE DEBT CURSE.

Thk Bankruptcy Gazette has lately been dealing most Irenchantly with the universal system of credit and non-redeeming of debt, aad the horrible consequences entailed. One of its articles puts the matter so forcibly that its substance deserves the fullest publication, and here particularly it should be of interest to the many victims of debt and ihe insolvents who incur debt. The Gazette says New Zealand's dobt sits on its shoulders like an Old Man of the Sea. To borrow in order to spend seems to be the ruling principle) which controls its creed as a colony, an* which dominates its people individually. There never was a time, we auppone, when the inhabitants of Now Zealand, as separate persons, were indebted to the ex ton t they now are, from the highest to the lowest. Nearly everyone ia involved more or less, and in most cases very little attention is p;vid by those who owe money a3 to when "V how it is to be paid. They are well aware of the fact that, when involution ceases lo balance evolution, their finances aro wrong ; thoy are perfectly conscious that their annual balance must show a deficit ; they know that although they earn only one hundred and fifty pounds per year, tliey spend three hundred, yet they euro not — something will turn up ; creditors must wait : if they refuse to do so, a friend will bo found to endorse a bill, which in the end he will have. to pay ; or, if tho worst comes to the worst, even the bankruptcy laws have been made for the benefit of insolvent debtors — and so the world goes on.

The upper ten thousand are not Ihe worst sinners. Here and there you will find a man whose career is noticed ; for a time he shines comet-like against the horizon, and then disappears for ever. He spends at the rate of five thousand per year, and then dies, leaving behind him creditors, who with difficulty obtain a ■paltry dividend of two or three pence in the £ when his estate is administered by the • ourt. The people who owe money are the middle classes and the so culled lower ones. Take the professional classes. Many of the persona engaged in practice of the learned professions are earning good incomes, and are yet " doing" bills with tho loan and discount offices : the smaller traders, cutting each other's throats trying to make a profit in the operation of selling goods at a less price than they buy them for ; the clerks in the various offices, many of them able to dress only by reason of their tailor consenting to give them credit, the tailor himself, who is forced to borrow because he cannot meet his bills ; the artisan, not out of employment, who cannot make his ends meet because he will not practice economy, and who prefers to spend what he cannot earn rather than deprive himself of items of luxury, are all fair samples of the evil we allege. Going lower, we find that even the boya who sell papers in the street owe, in some cases, three or four pounds for papers, the proceeds of which they have received and spent,. And so it is all throughout tho colony. The man who drives in his carriage probably has a bill of sale, registered or unregistered, over it ; the one who cleans your boots at tho street corner has most likely not paid for his brushes, and, another thing, does not intend to do so.

The result is, persons become bo aicu3tomod to owing money that they think nothing of it ; they do not feel ashamed to m«et a man to whom they are indebted ; they look into his faco with a patroniaing air, and walk on as if he owed them money, when perhaps they have been his debtor for months. We would rithor see a man walk on the other side of the street and slink down some alley to escape the notice of his creditor, than impudently meet him as if unconscious of bein? under any obligation. Such a man has some moral shame, some self-respect left, and there is hope yet f'>r him.

The class of persons alluded to herein never pay spontaneously, but only under compulsion. They discharge their debts because it is politic to do so, not because they feel their indebtedness a moral degradation ; thoir code of ethics is to pay because you must. If the bankruptcy laws would only allow a man to go through the Court without anyone knowing anything about it, what a time the Official Assignees would have ! Threofourths of the colony would livo in the Court.

Restriction of credit would be the euro. Let the butchers, bakers, drapers, et hoc genus owtjte, follow the example of the grocers and do business for cash ; let the tailors Bhut their books aud say to the man who wants clothes, "You must pay before you get them ;" let the children be taught that debt means disgrace, and then perhaps in twenty years, when the present generation has passed away — no good trying to do anything with (hem, their complaint lies 100 deep — the peopre of New Zealand may be ablo to shake oft' from their shoulders the weight which ia now crushing them to pieces.

In the R.M. Court thib morning John Martin was charged with the larceny of a watch, but was remanded till to-morrow for the production of evidence.

Messrs Graham, Pitt aud Jiunnett have received instructions from the Rci'istrsr of the Supreme Court to sell section 91, block C, North Gisborne, with th« dwelling house thereon, lately occupied by Mr J, Cresawell.

The Midget, having finished his exhibition, felt himself at liberty to show in public this morning, and the billiard room of the Masonic Hotel was Hlled to overflowinij to witness a match in which he took part. The Mite, who can just about see over the table t playa a good game at billiards.

Mr A. McDonald, who is a candidate to represent this constituncy ia Parliament, arrived from Napier to-day.

The sale of trees by Messrs Graham, Pitt, and Bonnet i yesterday was well attended, but the prices ruled low. A small lot which were not sold will be included in the sale on Saturday.

Mr J. W. Malthews, manager of the B.:nk of New Zealand, returned by the steamer this morning from hi 3 trip to England, and we are pleased to hear that his health has benefitted by the voyage.

Mr VV. Pettie announces hia stock taking sale, and that he will submit his entire atock of drapery aud clothing at substantial reductions uutil the end of July. A list of the bargains will be found in the advertisement, and to oouutry settlers special features are offered by which they may send in their orders without the necessity of coming into town.

In Christchurch several hundred respectable poor were entertained at a free tea by the congregation of the Wealeyan Church.

Mrs Goulon Bailie, so well-known in connection with the troubles of the Skye crofters, is in Melbourne at preseut. She proposes to look for land for fully a thousand of the Gordon clan to settle on.

Heavy wind and drizzling rain prevented effective illuminations in Dunedin. Thousands crowded the streets. There was a good display of fireworßs from the Town Hall.

On Jubilee day the people of Nelson made a presentation of a purae of 60 sovereigns to Mr Ben Crisp, one of the oldest settlers io that district, and one who has year after year provided a free tea and fentctaintneat for all the young people of that town. Old Ben was beaming and showed as well as expressed his chanka. He told how when he left Home the Queen wag only a baliy three months old. Miaa Trask pinned the medal on his breast.

Messrs Graham, Pitt, and Bennett notify that they will give HOO in prizs'j to the successful (or nearest) guesser of the number of peas contained in a jar in thuir grocery win 1 dow. Every purchaser to the value of 5a cash shall be entitled to a guess. Beside* the chance of winning LlO3 customers will obtniu the be3t value ever offered in Gisborne. This method of giving prizes to customers has become extremely popular in many towns in the South, and the enterprising firm who are now offering such a large prize will no doubt find plenty of gues3era to make shota for the LIOO.

Another Political Association haa been formed iv Christchurch in opposition to the association started a few days age. Mr Peter Cunningham is chairman, and is backed by an influential committee. The principal planks of their platform are retrenchment, financial reform, reduction in the legislativo expenditure, no further borrowing, facilitation of settlement on laud, retrenchment in the educition department, railway reform no further increase in Customs except for revenue.

A visitor to Masterton from Pahiatua, who has been mixing freely with the village settlers of that district, informs U3 (Wairara^a Daily) that their condition ia simply pitiable, and that before the winter is over we may expect them to come to Masterton ,for assistance. They have exhausted their Government grants. No work is available, and Borne of them try to keep bocfy and soul together by going out pig hunting. Our informant is of opinion that single men may pull through the winter in the settlement, but that married men must succumb.

A cute young man, rejoicing in the name of Harry Harto Lazirns, has swindled the bank of New South Wales at Sydney out of £9000 by means of promissory notes purporting to be drawn by several well-known merchants, Lazaru3, of course, was a very respectable young man who might have been easily mistaken for a Sunday school te.icher had he not been widely known as a leading member of some of the most fashionable clubs of the city.

The Ofcago Times says :— How far members of P.u-liaiT)6nt are from understanding the feeling of the country about retrenchment may be gathered from the special train to which some half-dozsn returning members tre ;ted themselves at the public expense from Christchurch to Dunedin — one of the extravagances for the stoppage of which the electors will do well to require pledges from those who seek their suffrages. No one, from the Governor downwards should be allowed a special train without pajing for it out of his own private purse.

In the R.M. Court this morning, before Mr Booth, the following debt cases were de.it with ; — Boylan and Croll v. Juo. McIntosh, claim L 3 lls lid, judgment for plaintiff with costs 12s ; Geo. Stubbs v, G. F. Anderson, LI 2s 6d, judgment for plaintiff with costs 6s : H, Cannon v. Paora Haupu, L 2 18s 6d, judgment by default with costs 6s ; Potera Houotapu v. Horiana Tupeku, L 8 10a 6d, plaintiff nonsuited with costs LI Is j VV. King v. v. Te Iro Taupu, claim LIOO for damage to property. On tho completion of the evidence for the plaintiff certain nonsuit points were raised which were nofc allowed, the Bench wishing to hear the evidence for the defence.

A meeting of the Harbor Bond takes place to-night in place of the regular fortnightly meeting, postponed from Tuesday owing to the Jubilee holiday. The report on the Tauwhareparae block will ho laid Defore the Board. Messrs O'Ryan and Dufaur have sent in their map, in which is shown all the streams and valuable features of the block, with the various qualities of the soil and natural divisions for utilising the same. It is divided into twenty-three divisions. A road from Tologa, distant about 15 miles, touches its southern boundary. The block is situate in tho centre of other well-known stations at present in course of improvement, viz., on the east by Tauwhareparae No. 3, occupied by Mr J. D. Ormond and natives, and Tokomaru, occupied by Mr A. C. Arthur ; on the north by Tauwhareparae No. 2, occupied by Mr J. N. Williams { on the west by Waipaoa, occupied by Messrs Muir, Greenfield and Co. ; and on the south by YVaingaromia No. 2, occupied by the Glasgow Bank Assets Company. The map has evidently been most carefully prepared, and reflects the greatest credit on the tenderers,

Congregatioaal Services — Gisborno 11, M»karaka 2, •• Memorial Sermon ;" Te Arai 3 45, Gißborne 7, " How to succeed in life" — Pastor Wallace ; Reay station 11, Patutahi 7 — Mr McKinuey. — Advt

General meeting of East Coast Hussars this evening at the drill shed at 7 o'clock, Business of importance.— Advt