BANKRUPT SIGNWRITER

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1929, Page 13

BANKRUPT SIGNWRITER

MEETING- OF CREDITORS

| A meeting of creditors of Andrew Simpson, signwritor, of Wellington^ was held before the Official Assignee (Mr. S. Tansley) to-day. Unsecured creditors were shown as at £211; assets, £15; deficiency, £196. The principal unsecured creditors were: Black and White Cabs, Ltd., £45: Zapon Co Ltd., £33; Hill and Jackson, Ltd'! £43. '

■n.1?* 1"8 statement, the bankrupt said that he commenced business on his own account as a motor-car painter and aign-writer m January, 1929. after having been employed in that capacity for the previous year by Black and White Cabs, Ltd. He had no capital, and Ms solo reason for commencing tho business was that he was put out of employment because Black and White Gabs, Ltd. could not afford to keep the paint shop running, and it was offered to him as a going concern at £2 a week. He took over the business ou the uuder!j an|' BS tha* lle would be given all the Black and White Cabs' work, which he knew from experience yielded an. [average turnover of between £35 ana £50 a month. During the five months he was in business ho did not receive more than £4 worth of work for the company He- entered into partnership with Eobert W. Paul, a mechanic, who assisted him in the dismantling of parts of the cars for painting and renickelhng. Paul contributed £20, but had no knowledge of painting.' The bankrupt said that when he realised that he could expect no support from Black and White Gabs he turned his attention to industrial lacquering. The partnership was not a success, and he was advised to dissolve it. Both he and his wife had had ill-health. Upon his recovery he obtained a position at ~ 5 10s a week- out of which he paid r, p °. s. a *'eek *« boarU •He attributed his present position chiefly to the failure of Black and White Cabs, Ltd.! to supply him with the work promised and to the general depression in business at the time.

An emphatic denial of the allegations wi^" y w behaif °f Biack and White Cabs, Ltd., who said that he had attended to show how unreliable Simpson's statements were in' regard to the company. The bankrupt knew perfectly well that there was no opportuiuty of his getting tho Black ani White work. :

nr«v-if nswS r ° luesUons from Mr. M Villy, tho bankrupt admitted that it was a fact that there was an agreement with the company fixing a price at which he would paint cars from time to time at tho company's convenience bimpson said he was not sure of the aW ks^ent. 6 """"^ he had d

'Is it not a fact that during tho time you were there you had oppor- ? Un T n ke°PiuS yourself and your staff fully employed at contracts you bad taken and did not fulfil? "Not always*

The bankrupt denied that he had lost work from Seoullar's through neglect, and also that Nimmo's had compllined about neglect in connection with a contract. ■

in^yr ♦•aiEa hj illference that durthat you were very seldom in that garage doing any work at a]l?»-.««Some. times I was working outside." ' The plain fact is that you had as much work from Scoullar'J as wbufl kept you fully employed; you other work."—"l nerer did;" The bankrupt denied that he himself was solely to blame for his position, and said that on some occasions he had worked till midnight and 2 o'clock in the morning. Another creditor (Mr. G.'j. Stevenson) said he could endorse, to a certain extent, some of Mr. M'Villy's remarks. After further discussion the bankrupt made an offer to pay 10s a week. The meeting was adjourned sine die and the Official Assignee said he would call another meeting when, Paul would h» present, and the partnership me*. tion could be investigated, -"s