Bankruptcy Meeting.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 4, 16 June 1887, Page 3

Bankruptcy Meeting.

An adjourned meeting of the creditors in the estate of A. Keefer, draper, was held on Tuesday, The Official Assignee said that the former meeting had been adjourned to get further information from the debtor. The debtor had given him some additional information as to the purchase of laud at Kaiti by his wife,

In answer to the Official Assignee the debtor stated that Mr M. J. Gannon had been instructed to prepare deeds of transfer of the Kaiti sections, and to do the interpreting, His wife had not paid Mr Gannon or his solicitor, nor was any arrangement made a? to the payment, Ho had no idea what the cost would be. He had asked Mr Gannon to send in his charges, but they had never been rendered. The Official Assignee said that he had seen Mr Gannon with reference to the debtor’s claim against Mrs Gannon, and he (Mr Gannon) had intimated by letter that there was a contra against any book debts.

The debtor, in answer to a question, stated that he had not made any arrangement with Mr Gannon to pay him £3O. Mr W. Maude protested against being detained any longer. The debtor had promised to pay his creditors in full. A controversy here took place between Mr Maude and Mr Sievwright. The former stated that a lawyer was paid for his attendance, whereas he (air Maude) was not. He could not afford to waste his time in waiting while an examination went on for ever. He proposed “ That the debtor be granted bis discharge, as he had promised, if in his power, to pay the creditors in full, and that the debtor give every assistance to collect the book debts.”

Mr Suiwright asked certain questions as towhat As, as shown in the debtor's books, were paicl lor by the purchase of land in Mrs Keefer’s name.

The Official Assignee, in commenting on some remarks made, said that he had noticed that during the meeting called in Keefer’s bankruptcy there had been a strong tendency by, or on behalf of some of the creditors, to stop, or to use strong language " burke,” evidence which he, in his official capacity, considered necessary and essential to the benefit of the estate. He had frequently remarked that he was not a private detective, but he had always endeavored to obtain and elicit evidence for the benefit of the creditors, whether such evidence was taken by him privately, or at an open, or special meeting. The same remarks applied to numerous meetings of creditors. He regretted that creditors who had proved in several estates did not give accord, or grant him that proper assistance which ought to have been in fair justice, given to him by reasonable persons who presumed to look after their own individual or joint affairs. He also regretted to see creditors acting in a free and easy way at meetings of creditors, he subsequently being often blamed for allowing such proceedings, over which he had no control, and hence unseemly discussions.

Strong remarks here took place between Mr Adair and the debtor, the latter accusing the former of unfairly treating his (debtor’s) wife. These statements were repudiated by Mr Adair. Further discussion of a very personal nature ensued, and the meeting adjourned until to-day at two o’clock.