MEETING OF CREDITORS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 55

MEETING OF CREDITORS.

In re A\ Si cart. The first meeting of creditors in the estate of William Stuart, of Kiridand Hill, Roslyn, gardener, which was to have bceu h>ld at the Official Assignee's offk'a on ihe 6th, lapsed for want of a quorum. Mr W. L. Moore appeared for bankrupt, and the Assignee explained that the bankrupt's absence wa» due to illnt-ss. Bankrupt's statement showed that he owed unsecured creditor.-, £91 14s 4d, and that he ha<l furniture worth £12, which was protected from the creditors under the act. His deficiency therefore amounted to £91 14s 4d. The principal creditors were: George Esther, £42 ; Rachel Rutherford, £22; M-Donald Bros., £7; Scherp, £3 19s Id; Dr M'Kellar, £3 3s ; D. Thomson, £3; and R. Jamieson, £7. Bankrupt's written statement was to the effect that he was a gaidener, employed at 7s a day. He- wr.to 55 year* of age, and had a wife and nine child-ren, the two eldest of whom were working-. Five chilchen were going to school, and there were two babies. Pre\icua to becoming gardener to Messrs Thomson and Co, he had been for about 10 years, off and on, keeping a poultry farm for Mrs Til burn, late of the Provincial Hotfl. He left Mrs Tilburn to keep a dairy farm on the slopes of Flagstaff, where he and his wife worked hard for two years. His cows were sold up to pay oft money borrowed from Messrs Rutherford and Esther, and also Messrs Horder and Moloney It was on the farm that ho got so much into debt. He- had tried to square up his affairs, but a> Mr Scherp's a^Mgneo was pressing him and tbo worn of the other accounts wa-s too much for him, he decided to file His creditor,had alwa\ 5 been very leniont with him. Tho- two creditors w-ho attended the meeting expressed sjmpathv fcr the bankrupt, whom they regarded ai an honest, haidworking man.

—In rho rural districts of England and Wales the t'eath-rjite is about 23 per cent knvei than in the urban districts.