HEAD OF THE TRIBE IN BANKRUPTCY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 89, 6 July 1927, Page 13

HEAD OF THE TRIBE IN BANKRUPTCY

MAORI WOMAN OWES £1,320 (Special to THE SUN.) CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. Debts amounting to £1,320 13s 4d, mostly contracted through her position as head of her tribe, were said to be responsible for the bankruptcy of Mrs. I M. Morrison, of Wellington, formerly of Tuahiwi. Her assets were nil. When her creditors met in the office of the official assignee, Mr. A. W. Walters, to-day, it was saif that taxi bills and some of the other amounts were not contracted by Mrs. Morrison alone, but were in connection with huis and other native functions, where the natives charged the bill up to the head of the tribe. Mrs. Morrison had a settled income which she drew from the native trustee, and attention was drawn to the fact that under the Native Land Act this money could not be touched f - the recovery of debts of bankruptcy proceedings. It was a settlement upon the Maoris fo all time, and bankrupt had only a life interest in it. Mr. J. J. McGrath, of Wellington, who appeared for Mrs. Morrison, pointed out that she had suffered bad h ilth. She had mortgaged for £3OO with the consent of the Native Land Court a property at Kaiapoi. “Her position is due to helping other Maoris,” he said, and added, referring to a boot bill for nearly £ 30, “She never contracted one-fifth of it.” Mrs. Morrison’s income was stated to be from £740 to £750 a year. The amount was derived from Greymouth leases. No definite decision was arrived at by the creditors.