“NOT WORTH CARRYING ON”

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1934, Page 10

“NOT WORTH CARRYING ON”

SOLDIER FARMER’S BANKRUPTCY. 30/- A WEEK LIVING EXPENSES. 1 The difficulties of farming a heavilyburdened property, and the hopeless state of affairs from his point of view, caused John Ericksen Stevens, Moeawatea Valley, Waverley, to file in bankruptcy. He appeared before Mr. C. O. Pratt, official assignee at Hawera, on Thursday, and said that during 14 years’ tenure of the land he had made less than 30s a week in living necessities. Mr. Pratt intimated, after questioning Stevens, that he would facilitate the discharge, and adjourned the meeting sine die. In his statement Stevens said that he was a sheep farmer 37 years of age, and a station-holder in tire Moeawatea Valley, 23 miles from Waverley. Returning from two years of active service in 1920 he took up 1432 acres of Crown leasehold in partnership with another returned soldier, R. Alley. Tire price was £5014 and they obtained 'an advance of £4500 from the Crown under the provisions of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act. The mortgage over the leasehold provided for repayment by instalments over 301 years, with interest at 5 per cent, reducible to 44 per cent, on punctual payment. The Crown Lands Department also advanced £1420 for purchase of stock under stock mortgage with interest at 6 per cent. The property wbs steep bush country with practically no flat land, and when it was taken over the larger part was going back to fem and rubbish. Both men worked solidly for many years improving the station. In 1926 Alley retired and the title was placed in Steven’s name. He had continued to work the farm himself, with usually a youth, to assist him. He had £750 in cash in 1920 but losses were suffered when prices fell, and just after taking over he paid £250 of his own money in rates and mortgage instalments. The balance went in succeeding years in living and farm expenses. All farm proceeds were received by the Commissioner of Crown Lands at New Plymouth, and the major disbursements were made by him. During the whole period the allowance for living and farm expenses had averaged £2 a week.

In 1926 the Dominion Revaluation Board reduced the capital value of the leasehold so that the annual rent was reduced from '£4B 11s 8d to £25. In 1928 this was further reduced to £22 ss, and was remitted for ten years provided the amount was spent on improvements. During the partnership the Revaluation Board also reduced the capital of the mortgage to £3050 and remitted some arrears of interest. Subsequently the Deteriorated Lands Committee reduced the mortgage principal to £2133 and the stock mortgage £995. Stevens applied to the Taranaki Land Board but failed in view of his. load of debt to the Crown. He also applied for relief under the Mortgagors and Tenants Relief Act The Taranaki Commission made no recommendation. To the official assignee Stevens said he was not pressed by his creditors into bankruptcy. He had long since realised the hopelessness of. his position and had with members of his family lost £lOOO in the property. The value of the property had dropped from £5OOO to £l4OO. The best year was 1925-26, when approximately £9OO was realised. OPUNAKE SCHOOL COMMITTEE. CHURCH ARMY MISSION BEGUN. The monthly meeting of the Opunake school committee lapsed for want of a quorum. The meeting was adjourned until next Thursday. The headmaster (Mr. W. T. Armstrong) reported that the primary school roll number was 188 and the average attendance fox’ the month was 170. The high school roll number was 40, average attendance 39. During the month the number of pupils affected, through measles, colds and influenza, was 21. School buildings and outhouses had been kept fairly clean and in good order. Missionary services are being conducted during the week at St. Barnabas’ church by Captain Peck, of the Church Army. On Wednesday evening there was a good congregation. Captain Peck preached from the Gospel of St. John, ch. 1, verse 4, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” An eloquent sermon was given. Evangelistic hymns were sung, the captain, who has a fine voice, leading the singing. In the course of his address he stated that in Japan and North Canada there was a robust spirit of worship in the church and there were as many people attending workship as people attending cinemas. It was this spirit of Christianity that was helping the Old Country in these times of depression. On Wednesday afternoon the High School pupils, in charge of the headmaster, Mr. Herdman, visited Mr. E. Maxwell’s farm and were given ah object lesson in forestry. Mr. Maxwell showed the pupils over his plantation and explained the various trees, the ages and .nature of them. DECISION TO CHANGE NAME. AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION. A decision to change the name to the Automobile Association (South Taranaki), Incoxporated, was made at a special meeting at Hawera last night of the South Taranaki Automobile Association. The decision followed receipt of a letter at the last meeting of the association from the North Island Motor Union advising that most of the associations had made the change in name. The resolution aroused no discussion and was passed without delay. A total of 38 men members was elected, making the total of members elected during the year 410. The secretary (Mr. W. G. Walkley) reported that 'the association was the third largest in tire North Island at present. The chairman, Mr. G. A. Carter, was appointed a member of the executive of the North Island Motor Union, and with Mr. W. O. Williams he was chosen to represent the association at the annual meeting at Napier shortly. MANAIA TO-NIGHT. When the whole of the “Hayseed” family come to town with Joe and Pansy on their honeymoon they will leave you limp from laughing. They hold up the traffic in every street. Mum gets carried off in “one of those strap-hanging trams,” and Dad and Joe spend the rest of the day looking fox’ her. The old man can’t xmderstand it all; he cannot make out why nobody knows Mum. The old chap is also amazed to discover that such a “bonzer” grazin’ paddock, like Hyde Park is not fenced off. and that they built such a grand G.P.O, “just by sellin’ penny stands,” v "

HAWERA GOLF CLUB FOURSOMES. SENIORS AND JUNIORS PLAY. The draw for to-day’s senior and junior Canadian foursomes competition at the Fairfield links has been made as follows: 12.30 p.m., ladies; 12.35, ladies; 12.40, Anderson and Gilligan v. Whitehead and Lawn; 12.45, Hay-Mackenzie and Dunlop v. O’Callaghan and Brathwaite; 12.50, Potter and Tonks v. Pease and G. W. Williams; 12.55, Baigent and W. O. Williams v. H, .Sagar and Wake; 1 p.m., McKenzie and Homer v. Lennon and Cambie; 1.5, Sturrock and North, v. Jordan and Tunnicliffe; 1.10, Fry and Farmer v. Ritchie and Farquharson; 1.15, Slater and Fletcher v. G. H. Ryan and Dash; 1.20, A. E. Tarrant and Turner v. Giblin and Hulbert; 1.25, Walkley and Lloyd v. Vinnicombe and Ogle; 1.30, Chisholm and W. W. Gibson v. Thomson and R. L. Good; 1.35, A. Sagar and Stead v. Caselberg and Thrush; 1.30, Bright and Claringbold v. Tennent and Fyson; 1-45, J. Tarrant and Douglas v. Fossey and Hill; 1.50, ladies; 1.55, Maunder and Hynes v. McLean and another. AUTOMOBILE SIGN-POSTING. ROUTE TO TANGARAKAU GORGE. The Automobile Association (South Taranaki) will in the near future carry out the sign-posting of the road from Stratford to the end of the Tangarakau Gorge following a division of the executive last night. The approximate cost will be £145, and the service officer, Mr. J. McKee, has already made a survey of the route. Members at last night’s meeting agreed that the road badly needed posting. The secretary, Mr. W. G. Walkley, reported that he had recently made a trip on the road and had found the sign-posting in a shocking condition. It would be worth the while of the association, he said, to begin the work as soon as possible, No decision on the 'starting time was made. For the work th& association will receive a subsidy from the Main Highways Board. The road between Kaponga and Eltham will be sign-posted in about a fortnight, the posts at present being in the hands of signwriters. The service officer reported that he had surveyed the route. MANGATOKI DISTRICT NEWS. BASKETBALL COMPETITIONS. At Manga toki, El th am 11 beat Manga8 after a very close basketball contest. The loss was the first of the Mangatoki team and places Eltham and Mangatoki equal for first place in the junior* southern group, A division. ■ A strong troupe from Auroa is staging a three-act comedy at Mangatoki for the benefit of the school funds. Success will enable the school committee to bear the cost of cocoa and sugar for the children’s hoi drinks without having to make a special'collection from the parents. The hockey and basketball clubs are combining to hold a ball on August 20. The Ambassadors’ orchestra has been engaged and a free bus from Stratford via Eltham has been arranged for. KAPONGA TALKIES. HAYSEEDS COME TO TOWN. “The Hayseeds” decided to come to town and bring the whole family. And from the moment they left the old homestead the eye of the camera was turned on them, and their adventures make one of the most entertaining films the screen has ever presented. “The Hayseeds” is Australia’s first modem comedy, full of rare entertainment delights. Its beauty and romance is enriched by six big song hits, and there is an abundance of hearty Australian laughs. Producer Beaumont Smith lined up a fine cast of stage and screen favourites, headed by Cecil Kellaway, Shirley Dale, John Moore and Katie Towers. Arthur Clarke sings two musical numbers, and Shirley Dale and John Moore provide the rest, of the .musical . endj, backed, ]?£ a ctous, j

INTER-CLUB WOMEN’S GOLF. TE NGUTU DEFEATS PATEA. By five matches to one a team from the Te Ngutu Ladies’ Golf Club defeated Patea at Te Ngutu on Thursday. Fourball matches were played. The results are as follows, with Te Ngutu names first:— Miss E. O’Dowd and Mrs. Luxton lost to Mrs. Glenny and Miss Carey. Miss M. O’Dowd and Miss C. Sutherland beat Mrs. Honeyfield and Miss Findlay. Miss Joyce and Mrs. Hollis beat Miss Petersen and Mrs. Mitchell. Miss Betts and Mrs. Good beat Misses Gibbings and Davidson. Mrs. Evetts and Miss Penny beat Mrs. Honeyfield and Mrs. Shield. Mrs. Mack and Mrs. Betts beat Mrs. Lutz. L.G.U. MEDAL COMPETITION. A L.G.U. medal competition among members of the Te Ngutu Ladies’ Golf Club was won by Mrs. Penny with ’a score of 106—33—73. Miss I. O’Sullivan and Mrs. Good tied for second place with cards of 106 —36 —74 and 105—31 —74 respectively. TREE PLANTING AT PATEA. DOMAIN AND TOWN RESERVE. “In some countries it was compulsory for a person felling a tree to plant another, and it would probably be a good idea if this were done in this Dominion,” Mr. F. Ramsbottom, Mayor of Patea, stated at the Arbor Day gathering this week, when trees were planted in the domain. In the party were Mr. E. F. Hemingway, chairman of the Domain Board, and teachers of the Patea, Whenuakura, Alton and Manutahi schools and children. On the Patea school's behalf Mrs. D. C. Bates planted a Californian redwood, and Miss Patricia Hurley planted a Douglas fir on Whenuakura school’s behalf, a similar tree being planted by Mr. L. G. Morris for the Kakaramea school. On behalf of the Manutahi school a karaka was planted by Master Ray Penny. Mr. Ramsbottom urged all present to observe Arbor Day in the future, more particularly the schools. A tree was planted by members of the Women’s Institute in the reserve opposite the Catholic Church. Mrs. S. Gunn, president of the garden circle, welcomed the borough officers present and hoped that by the co-opera-tion of the circle of the council the town would be made beautiful with flowers, shrubs and trees.

Mrs. W. H. Walton urged the necessity for conservation of the native trees and bird life of New Zealand, She assured the Mayor of the circle’s support in any beautifying project in the town and its environs.

The Mayox- expressed the pleasure it gave him to know there were those eagexto beautify the town. He hoped the triangle rockery would be formed by the end of the month. He asked Mrs. Gunn to plant the pohutukawa in the reserve. Each person present participated by spading up the soil around the tree. Adjournment to Mrs. Gunn’s residence for afteiwofl tea was Ito wad?-