DEFICIENCY OF £946 SHOWN BY BANKRUPT

Press, Volume C, Issue 29503, 3 May 1961, Page 22

DEFICIENCY OF £946 SHOWN BY BANKRUPT

A deficiency of £946 8s 8d was admitted by a bankrupt, Thomas Francis Keith i Whittle, -of Rangiora, a baker, when he met his : creditors yesterday. Mr D. Malcolm, an agent for the ; Official Assignee (Mr O. T. Grattan), conducted the meeting. All the money owed by Whittle was to unsecured creditors, said Mr Malcolm. Whittle was adjudged bankrupt on April 19. In his statement of reasons for bankruptcy, Whittle said that he had operated, in 1958, an uneconomical bread round and had used an unreliable vehicle for the round. He also attributed his bankruptcy to his former wife, who was unable to manage the house on “the adequate allowance” given her. Whittle also said that his previous wife had been running up accounts, and because he had been working late he had not noticed this, and had therefore not stopped her. He had since been divorced by his first wife and was paying her and the five children £9 a week maintenance; His arrears of maintenance were £77. “This is a most unsatisfactory statement —it does not go back far enough,” said Mr Malcolm. Whittle was then questioned about the purchase and sale of a house in Christchurch and a rural mail delivery round in Rangiora. He said that he sold the mail run for £4OOO about the end of 1955, but only had £1250 after paying off some of his debts. “This money was used on general household expenses and outstanding accounts,” said Whittle. He then worked on a bread round, but said that he did not think he was “even getting wages from the round.” “The two previous people who had the round went out owing money,” he said.

Mr Malcolm then asked Whittle if he spent his money on racehorses. Whittle replied that he did not, but later admitted going to Riccarton racecourse recently and having two 10s bets on which he collected nothing. His second wife, whom he married on February 17, gave him the money, he said, in reply to a suggestion by Mr Malcolm that the money would have been better used if paid to his creditors. He said that he had gone to Riccarton to see his former wife. Whittle said that at present he was earning £22 gross a week, out of which he paid all household expenses and maintenance. His wife was working and earning about £l7 a week, he said. He said that he would be able to pay £3 a week if his wife continued working. “I don't believe you about Riccarton racecourse and a lot of other things,” said Mr Malcolm. “I am not satisfied, and J adjourn this meeting sine die.” "I am not trying to dodge anything,” said Whittle.