BANKRUPT PAINTER

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 91, 8 July 1927, Page 9

BANKRUPT PAINTER

FARMING VENTURE FAILS ASSIGNEE SYMPATHETIC The . Official Assignee, Mr. G. N. Morris, took a sympathetic view of the case of a bankrupt painter. William Henry Cooper, who faced his creditors this morning. n • Bankrupt’s schedule showed an amount of £BS owing to unsecured creditors, and £52 to secured creditors, while the value of securities was given at £24. The total debts were therefore £ll3. There were no assets. In a written statement, bankrupt said that until about three years ago he was employed by the Railway Department, when he took up a Government lease at Oratia, with the intention of carrying on fruit farming. He purchased a motor-truck in order to enable him to cart goods in the district, but he could not make a success of the proposition, and the truck was seized. He then bought 25,000 strawberry plants, but owing to continued wet weather over 10,000 plants were lost. He was unable to pay for them, and was sued by the firm, which later took bankruptcy proceedings against him. .He had endeavoured to secure employment at his trade, but found work difficult to get. He had a wife and six children wholly dependent upon him. At present lie is engaged in painting jobs which return him about £ 4 a week. He had paid £25 deposit for the lease of 3*> acres at Oratia, but had paid ver> little since, and about 12 months ago the lease was “closed down on him. As there was not quorum of creditors present, no resolution was .passed. The meeting was adjourned sine die.