Flashes From Wellington.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17906, 23 July 1926, Page 5

Flashes From Wellington.

(Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, July 23. Help for Homeless. The publication in the “Post” of the plight of a homeless family of nine who were forced to camp in the bush owing to inability to find a house, has already borne fruit. One gentleman has offered the wanderers a house at Island Bay, agreeing to pay half the rent himself. Another is prepared to sell them a house on very easy terms, not seeking any profit for himself on the transaction. Other inquiries have been made with a view to relieving the famil)’’s distress, and it looks as if it will not be long before the troubles of the family are but a memory. Mine Owner Bankrupt. At a meeting of the creditors of Garden Boyd Watson, mine proprietor, the following creditors were represented:— 11. Savage £SO, C. W. Anderson £8096, Mines Department £263. J. M. Borrie £6O. The money owing to the Department was for rent under a coal lease. The other amounts were for advances. Bankrupt, in his sworn statement, said that in July, 1908, he was approached by David Wlu-te and others

in Hastings interested in the Onekaka iron leases to give an option over his coal leases, and land for coal mining purposes. Whyte offered to set up a company with a capital of £50,000. The war in 1914 stopped work, but in 1919 bankrupt arranged to go on and spend up to £SOOO. Mount Burnett, Ltd., were hampered in obtaining extra capital through an illogical statement made in the 1913 geological report of the Mines Department. This had caused the Mount Burnett directors to decide to accept an offer of £17.000 recently made for assets, which had cost the company £60,000. Also, a threat of the cancellation of the coal lease had caused the directors to accept the offer of the Mammolite Company. A creditor suggested that they should find out the relationship between the bankrupt and the Mount Burnett Company, because the Mount Burnett Company might be indebted to bankrupt for many thousands of pounds. It was resolved that bankrupt should be given a proxy from the Official Assignee to attend a meeting of the Mount Burnett directors at Hastings on Tuesday. The meeting was adjourned sine die.