ABSENT DEBTOR

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 912, 3 September 1910, Page 14

ABSENT DEBTOR

• TO RETURN TO WELLINGTON. . ■■".'■ ACTIVE CREDITORS. ■' .-.About a dozeir creditors, of ...Alfred tFrank Higgins assembled, in the office of.the Official. Assigneo (Mr. ;A; Sirnp'.son) yesterday morning, : but--the' .proceedings were mainly .-.-' confined' to .'a statement by" the Assignee _ <6i.. .the position; to date/' Sir. Young,.of-Young and, Tripe,' appeared on , -behalf,.of the petitioning, creditors,, at instance Higgins.was declared .bankrupt.' ■■'■ ';.'.; .Bankrupt jri Caoli. ' ; ■ '■'•■'•Mr.. ,exp]ained'!';that : tho meeting had .been ■ called simply tp : fulfil; 'statutory'■■■/requirements.'. - . .There I jwas'; no;, statement, .from "the; bankrupt, i-h'e having ieft'-;;.the : .Dominion.'.- Mr. Young, 'of Young,;aiid Tripe, on -behalf. of- the/creditors}had/taken .".action./ to I bring the '.bankrupts 'back/ '•'■' From his ' bajik-bodk. it;had.been.,found that .he toot aconsiderable-'sum of money away witli him... From the TeAro branch; of ■the;'', Bunk..of . u New/. Zealand, '' where , Higgiris kept • his account) • his ' bankbook!,had bbeir.obtained, .and information', as -to . where'. lie ..drewi : out Mth'o. 'amount /standing, to ''his'; credit. ; In this way. also had; Been '/traced; where ho. instructed part of-the;: money to be' sent'.: .The -Supremo Court had issued a warrant, 1 and' Iliggins had been !«■-. .rested in Hobart, , -where he.was now in ■ gifql.-'. , ■Hβ-was : brought ur> .before the Court , ;'and '.remanded until September '8." -This would just about give the constable, who had left ,on. the'■./previous. .day, ,time to'arrive in Hobart,.but, if necessary, Higgins'.would/;bo /further remanded until the ■.;. arrival.: of -the. steamer/from 1 : New:- Zealand. The Hobart.;police had '.traced a sumi of £640 \m. Higgihs.'s possession, and'tho speaker -had/asked/the local Inspector of. Police .to!,:, communicate--"with., tho. a tithorities in VHbbart,' asking: them; to 'attach this -money in. .the'., interests of the creditors. iThe .speaker .thought it; .very/likely/ that/when all/proofs had" blen.handed;iiV:thoy>niighf have' ehougli to.pay'theijreditbrs.'^Os. , iii/tho. il, biisi'des' the 'expenses./.of / the' . trip to .Hobart and.back'.- / / : ■"'_•.;.;." ./ /■"/:.;■/: •■'::":'/.' 'Creditors/Complimented. //; '■"liairi yi>ry';gliid," continued the Assignee,., "that the': creditors..have takon this .step. :V It has been a/common, occur'reVico '- of/late/'for.; bankrupts ', to" departy and■ I- liavej ,as/the.law stands,'no. power/to." bring. them ■ back. ; | - The' pov-, ernmenij -.will'' ■ not - admit itself; liable. for the .'cost./: -.:Whef,e.'.the , estate lias /no.funds,, I, cando' nothing'.: \ 1 think the .action of;.'the:.' , c.rediixjrs is to be commended oil ,this occasion,.. because it will Be/a deterrent/to. others attuniptr ihg 'to go for some/time.' I. think the'-,, ■ coinmef cial/ ;■ community ought "to 'be pleased--that'this action has/been , ;taken by the -iew , who.went .into it. - T :/They/did not know,:that there was anything in/bho. ; <jstate::or,-;tbat they' would lipt have■ to ; pay;.the/costsj'"•■but , I/think'/now;.; thei; creditors,".will, dovery: well.". ■ /"' ■■'••'?'■. ■'• :■ ;'" : '. : '''.- '--'V '■■■"■. : - 1 .."^■''K.-;-.■':- A/Belated■/Olifer;.-'/;'-: ■'';■■■■■.'■■•'; ■' Continuing, , / Mr: .Simpson /remarked that a ■'cablegram , received from ;H6bai't on, the/previous '■-"/evening. , stated ■ tli'iit; bankrupt's 'solicitor had. to pay 'all ; 'bonajfido: debts; .This,; 'of course, could' not; be entertained, now. , - Ue, had': replied-that .the law. would.' have .to take J its. course;- : /; It ■ was'i not i for the.creditors/to, rhake: aiiy■'propbsi- , tion to. tho '-'.bankrupt, , s. solicitor.' Hej would be", dealt; with when '. [ /brought ■ back./ All! p.bssible"'precautions/ ; had' been'taken; to. have tho money/in Hig- , ' gins's possession'secured. , ..-:'■''"'.■.'.;-i '.'./ ; : .:'■;','; /" A "Forwarding Agent,'' / ;■; A-In reply toVa ; /creditor's'; question- &n' to what.amount, the:..bank-.ihad. remit-' ted on. behalf'of'Higgins,';; the ! 'Assign'ee ; replied, that; the ;:latteiv,',,wheu r : ho . loft: drew .two cheque's, on -the/bank; //Just: before he left .''on/ August/3 .'hpipaid- in; £270 Bs'.v'which'macle.K.tbtai/sthhding'; to, his:credit/b'f;.£4l7.\6sß;id'S!/At/Lyt-; ■ teltoii:■,':Higgins ■ drew, a /6hbquo ; ;for £423,: I.os. /■• Wien ; /this : ;liad? ; beeW,referred to; . Welling ton;-' ; payment .-was - ;*Tcfused, J on; the.' ground that ;a: cheque/for ,'£lo lOs.i :paid,,into the ;account , ' had/been , dis-l honoured..' ./v'Higgiris'/tlien.' drew, : a cheque .for £413, which//was/ paid„,byj the.bank■ at"/Lytteltou, ; .in,notes; eight, fifties,/-two: ,for; : £s;..:and■■'three;for £1: Subsequently, the cheque.; for , : £lo l(ii>.\ abbvermentioried was met ;and. Higgins, :at ■ -Dunedin, ,-drew-." a for ,;■, £12 10s'.'.;in favour/of ''Mrs. Fleming"' arid ■endorsed; "A/■ Fleming.l'. l ' Tho bank at Dunedin;' in,.reply.to:.'an/inquiry' ; tliat / 'this /cheque was prqse'iyted ■,;by-,. ; A. Fleniiug/and :tlie/,bank, in,.ac'cordance/.witli. instructions,' remitted : .the ■'.amount/to,-him .by/draft,:-."caro A| : F.. Stiutt and/C0.,/forwarding agents', Ho- : ;b&rt." /'■■ltKjVas/by 'this t tnat -bank'rup.t was ..located'.:'-.""Probably,. Mr.; Simpson .6ta.te'd/.it : ;-iv - ould i be found;* that Hiegihs ■had; been. : living in/Hobart as ,'.'A; $'lemiug.,,//'/ ; / : :./ : ; ■./■/■////■;/'■//.;/'.■.■

;. ./; A vLeisurely /Departure.;:]]?/;.',//- '' It .'was probable, the'.-Assignee: ].remarked; that.Higgiris had/spont'several days hy'.Lytteltdn on 'his]>way south.. When': information: as ■fo,'-th'e : ;-'£l2 : ,'los , . cheque was.' obtained, ■ rib' trouble was : taken t<);■' rest of", the lrioiiey.. Ppssiblv he obtained; a draft in Inveiv ! cargill' ir Dunedin or carried his money ...iiv gola.\] '..;:'v ■ ; -'■;■ ;■'■;■ ■.'■■ : -'.-.y'/.''..';. '.'. '" '•/■A , /.croditpr suggested 'that the, petir ■turning' , creditors . had,: run ]i. a_. serious. risk.:': Of* course it Was'- all right, now, ,bpt- they.might'.c6nc j eivably:'liave in-, curred a 'claim' for. damages. ,-':■ ''.-■. . ■.... The•' Assignee stated J that -when the back 'iji. the 'Domiii ioii the creditors! expenses would ceaso] 'because, the;.case iwouid be :then'.a.crim■inal.' prosecution by' the" .Crown.- :Th(v. only filing the Government■'■■would, riot' .do ■ was to ;Vpay ■ the expenses .of bring-.-Jng. this, person back. The Crown So-licitor-would .take.]the'case up'as soon arrived.--.- , --. , .. :■'•. ■■_,■-':'■''... ~ A creditor:r'.'l ihinki. if is .a, great .pity that the.Government].: does not bring ] these people .back.. .'What, is- tho -expense]when],it] is a questiph^of.,puri-fying-the 'commercial ..atmosphere! , ". . . ~'!lf] the Gbvernment trafced: defaulters and .- brought them "back it .--.would aimount to :a- , very]'large sum] in;'- the' year," commented-.the. Assignee].. ■: : : . Hr. Young'said'he had,been informed- by the inspector of ]polico that, the cost on ,, this .occasion would not 'be. more -than £50'. !- /.- '■'-, • V .; The Assignee said he thought the ex ? perise would. be".'.even' less. , ;' '. : "• ]"Is he comingback' saloon?" asked a creditor. '.'No," was the official reply, ]"stoerage.". ' . A hearty vote of thanks having been passed to the ! Official, Assigneo and to Mr. - Young the'meeting adjourned.