THREE TYPES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1387, 13 March 1912, Page 4

THREE TYPES.

OF THE JUDGMENT DEBTOR.

It is a varied assortment of persons .which appears at the Magistrate's Court as judgment debtor. Hero aro three cases. A middle-aged man appeared respecting a debt-of'.£B.2s. "You keep n privato hotel?" said Mr. A. 11. Hindmarsh, counsel for the judgment creditor, "Yes," replied the debtor. "And employ a largo staff of servants? • continued Mr. Hindmarsh. "I keep live. I don't think that M verv many." Mr. Hindmarsh: "Five! Well, then, you can afford to pay this man." Debtor; "I cant pay anything at preJ sent." ilr. Hindmarsh: "Need I say any more, your Worship? I ask for an order." Dr. M'ArtluiT said onco more that ho could not allow Hie institution to become a kind of Bankruptcy Court. "Hero is a man," ho continued, "carrying on abusiness, and he can't moot his accounts. Wc can't let these things go on for ever. It is not like tho multitude of cases I get here. Usually tho debtor is a labourer receiving 'Xi 75., £2 35., or, eay, £2 10s. per week. That is all that that labourer gets in, How am Ito know what this man gets in? lam not going to attempt to arrive at it." Mr. F. G. Bolton (who was speaking on behalf of tho debtor): "May I interrupt ?" Dr. M'Arthur: "You arc not interrupting mo, because I have said all I am going to say." Mr. Bolton: "It has not been pioved that he has been able to pay this amount. Nothing of the kind has been shown." Mr. Bolton then said something to tho effect that debtor would have to hie, and the creditors would lose everything. Dr. M.'Arthur: "I don't care. I can't help that. lie wants to carry on a business without paying his debts." An older was made to pay in a fortnight's time. Tho next judgment debtor examined was a carter, who stated his weekly income was .£3. "How much do you pay out of that for horse feed?" Dr. M'Arthur asked. "Fifteen to eighteen shillings a neck, was the answer. Dr. Jl*Arthur: "What is your rent.' Debtor: "Sixteen shillings." Dr. M'Arthnr: "No order.' A professional wrestler then appeared. He was in debt to a hotelke?per. \fter debtor had been examined as .to his abilitv, or otherwise, to pay the debt. Dr. IV Arthur observed: "If fl chooses to let a man go on like tliis for ,£SO, he does not deserve much consideration. I daresay debtor is one of those men' who nro in funds at certain times, and attract, a certain class about the hotel, and it pays, and probably has paid, to keep him there, even if ho pays nothing at all for board. lam not going to o'ncouraec that kind of thing. . . . Perhaps this man (debtor! might bo protected against himself. No nvder."