O'MALLEY AND PEPPERELL'S MEETING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1628, 8 March 1884, Page 2

O'MALLEY AND PEPPERELL'S MEETING.

(From the N.Z. Times.) A meeting of creditors in the estate of O'Malley and Pepperell, contractors, was held in tho grand jury-room of the Supreme Court yesterday. The attendance was rather poor, and Mr Graham, Official Assignee, • presided. Mr W. T. L. Travers made a lengthy explanation of the difficulties in connection with-the TeAro reclamation and other contracts which Messrs O'Malley and Pepperell had had in baud, As these matters have already been well ventilated, we do not publish any of Mr Travers' statements. MiGraham reported that since the last meeting he had applied to the Government with reference to the Government contract, and Mr Blackett, to whom he had been referred, had advised that no money should bo paid till the contract had been completed, ,iO had also applied to the clerk of the Foxton County Council, and had been informed that the council had taken possession of the plant to complete the contract. The debtors had not been able to give any information, their books having been seized. Mr Barnett said in this estate they were left with nothing but lawsuits, which were the only prospects in view. He thought the object of the creditors should be to give an expression 6f opinion on the conduct of the contractors who had brought them to such a pass. He expressed strong indignation at the manner in which the affairs of Messrs O'Malley and Pepperell had been carried on. They had acted with gross carelessness and I heedlessness. If ifc were necessary he would move, to express his disapprobation, that the meeting stand adjourned for three months, in order to prevent the debtors obtaining their discharge. His own connection with the case was that he had advanced money to one of the contractors, upon the assurance that large sums were due to them, The next chy their bills were being dishonored, a t'.iw days afterwards they made an assignment to Corcoran. Two J days before their insolvency they had made an assignment of shares to a private individual; Mr Duthie made some remarks to the effect that tho whole cs.ate was going to bo swallowed up in a sea of litigation. At this stage Mr Cathie left the meeting. Mr Grahr a said there was nothing hostile to the interests of the creditors in the proceedings. After some discussion between Mr Lowes and Mr Travers, the latter left the meoting, after saying that lie declined to act for the creditors, as Mr Lowes doubted his word, and ho absolutely refused to have anything to do with gentlemen who treated him with rudeness and impertinence. After Mr Travers had left, Mr Barnett said that ho thought he had adopted a wise course, especially in this particular case. Mr Barnett then moved an adjournment for three months, Mr Graham thought this period too long a term, and suggested one month, which was agreed to, and the meeting was adjourned to tho 17th April, at 3 p.m., but the Official Assignee reserved the power of calling a meeting before that date in case anything special might transpire.