FAILURE OF OWNER DRIVER

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1931, Page 12

FAILURE OF OWNER DRIVER

WITHDRAWAL FROM SERVICE RUN. '£l47 DEFICIENCY ESTIMATED. The ‘financial failure of a service cai driver, Alexander R. Wyllie, who came from Hawke’s Bay to New Plymouth after the earthquake, showed a deficiency of £147. A meeting of creditors was called in the New Plymouth office of the Deputy Official Assignee (Mr. J. S. S. Medley) yesterday, and, as there wan no quorum, was adjourned sine die. Up to the time of the recent earthquake, said Wyllie in his written statement, he had been an owner-driver on the Wairoa-Rotorua run via the Urewera. The earthquake made it impossible for him to continue the service on this route, and so it came about that, to endeavour to earn a living,he and his brother, who had been in a similar predicament, decided to commence a motor service between New Plymouth and Wellington.) He had very little capital when he entered into the business, and having a considerable amount of expense in establishing the business in the way of booking offices, signwriting, advertising, etc., he soon found that he was getting into debt. As he had entered into business at the beginning of the winter and the debts were unavoidable, he had not been able to pick up on them as in parts of the winter the passenger traffic had been far from good. About three months ago his car, owing to payments not having been made, was repossessed by the - Tourist'Motor Company, Ltd., Hastings, and as this was his only means or hope or making a living and eventually paying his debts, he had to drop out of business. Owing to being summoned by creditors, he had had to file. He was a married man with one child and had recently secured a position in the Wairoa district. The schedule showed that £l5l Is. 6d. was owing to unsecured creditors, and the deduction of £4 worth of furniture left a deficiency of £147. Is. 6d. Unsecured creditors were: Locke, butcher (New Plymouth), 18s.; Elliot, storekeeper (New Plymouth), 10s.; Electric Light Department, £2 18s.; New Plymouth Gas Company, £1 145.; Tourist Motor Company, Ltd., Hastings, £130; Nurse Ellis (New Plymouth), ( £1; Dr. Blackley (New Plymouth), £5 Is. 6d.; L. Cave, land agent (New Plymouth),. £B. _ There was a list* of contingent liabilities, said the DU.A., regarding Alexander Wyllie’s partnership in the firm of Wyllie Bros. In reply to the D.0.A., Wyllie said this brother was still carrying on the firm of Wyllie Bros. If the brother still carried on, said the D.0.A., he would be responsible for the contingent liabilities of his bankrupt partner.’ The schedule of debts shown at the meeting were merely the private debts of Alexander Wyllie and not his debts as an ex-partner of the firm. For his. present job of driving a service car, : he received £4 10s; a, week, said Wyllie. In the service car partnership with his brother, for a time they had three cars on the run from New Plymouth to Wellington, two belonging to his brother and one to him. They had not been able to draw any fixed amount In wages from the business—sometimes I£2 * week, sometimes £3, and occasionally £4, which would have to last them weeks,