BANKRUPT VETERINARIAN

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1934, Page 2

BANKRUPT VETERINARIAN

“UNABLE TO MAKE OFFER.” INQUIRY BY HAWERA ASSIGNEE. Instructions to wind up the estate of Edgar Robert Marshall, bankrupt veterinary practitioner, of Hawera, were given by the official assignee, Mr. C. O. Pratt, at an inquiry at Hawera yesterday. A brief examination was conducted, Mr. Pratt saying he was certain Mrs. Marshall could maintain future payments on a car she had bought. Debts owing by Marshall to unsecured creditors totalled £179 8s Id. Assets were book debts,£so 19s 6d, estimated to produce £42 and cash in hand £3 10s, leaving an estimated deficiency of £133 18s Id. The principal unsecured creditors were Hallenstein Bros., £7 13s 6d; H. R. Kemp, £l3 7s; Hawera Hospital Board, £5 0s 6d; T. Gollins, £5; R. Tait, £l5 0s lOd; Newton King Ltd. £6 15s 9d; A. Bettridge (England), £93 9s 7d; South Taranaki Electric Power Board, £5 ss, and the West Coast Mortgage Company. Those present at the meeting were Messrs. B. Malone, representing A. Bettridge (London), R. R. Henderson, representing the West Coast Mortgage Company and J. Tait, chemist, Hawera. Mr. M. Niccol watched the interests of Marshall.

In a statement, bankrupt said that he arrived in New Zealand from England on December 6, 1927. For eleven months he was out of work, but commenced as a veterinary practitioner in November, 1928, vzith £4 12s. He did fairly well until early in 1930, when an accident occurred to his uninsured second-hand car. This involved him in a liability of £6O to Mr. A. H. Hills, Normanby. After he had paid that debt business had progressed fairly well and in November, 1930, he traded in the old car and paid a deposit of £4B on another car. He then had monthly instalments of £l2 Ils to meet. Busines became worse and he gradually fell into arrears with the payments. In 1931, he borrowed £6O on the car from the Standard Trust through Mr. L. ■ A. Taylor, solicitor, Hawera, in order to retain the car. Eventually the amount was paid off. From 1931 onwards business had been very bad, due to the increased prices of drugs, the fall in the price of butterfat and the necessity. of reducing charges below a payable minimum. He married in 1932 and had one child, who was delicate, and required constant medical attention. In November, 1933, the car was seized under the judgment of A. Bettridge. He would say that the £lOO originally owing to Bettridge was a loan made in England long before he came to New Zealand. From 1933 until his wife bought a car in April of this year, he had been compelled to use taxis, which had proved ■ very expensive. His wife had bought the car out of savings made prior to the marriage, and she had paid the instalments out of her earnings.

Busines was still bad and, in the circumstances Marshall said he was unable to make any offer to the creditors. A brief examination was conducted by the official assignee as to the interest of Mrs. Marshall in the car she purchased.