MEETING OF CREDITORS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 261, 15 October 1884, Page 2

MEETING OF CREDITORS.

The first mooting of creditors in the estate of Mr. E. O’Meara, surveyor, was held at the Deputy Official Assignee’s office this morning. Proofs of debts to the amount of £127 17s. Id. were put in. The Assignee explained that the unsecured creditors amounted to £446. There was only one secured creditor, Mr. D. Pag- 1 , who held a bill of sale over the debtor’s furniture for EGO. The assets amounted to £753, leaving a slight surplus.

The debtor deposed—l have not been in constant employment for the past twelve months, I was employed during March, April, and part of May. I have no account books. I was doing a little work during last November and December. I cannot say when I received by last discharge in bankruptcy. I have not be in constant employment since the time of my last bankruptcy. I have no account books to show what business I have done since that time. I had no arrangements with Porter A Croft regarding the surveys. They paid me about £6BO last year, but that went to liquidate my debts incurred prior to my first bankruptcy. About £250 of that wont to pay expenses, labor and provisions. With this money I paid off Mr. Common £l6 odd, and Mr. East. I paid these creditors because I thought by constant work I could settle with everybody. I also paid Mr. Adams and Mr. Ward £65. I gave him a lien on some land. Porter & Croft advanced money for the Natives. They were not liable to me for the money, but only advanced it on behalf of the Natives as agents. The Natives employed me to make the Mangaparahi survey. No European, whatever, had anything to do with it. In that survey Porter A Croft only recommended me to the Natives to do the work. I have not received a penny for the work. Rapaparirihi and Rangituara blocks are not yet completed. The plan of the Whanakau survey is in the Survey Office, and the lien attached to it for the costs of £3OO. It is in the name of Captain Porter as agent for the Natives. My travelling expenses came to four shillings per day, due from the Natives and not the Government. Mr. J. N. Williams has nothing to do with mo in the survey of these lands. If I get a lien on the land I shall be all right. There is interest due to D. Page on his bill of sale. I had a piano rented, but Mr. Townley had it removed last week, hearing that 1 was in difficulties, he said he would nnt leave the instrument wit hme any longer. My brother-in-law paid £22 for the purchase of the piano and it came to my possession. It remained my brother-in-law's property up to the pre-

sent time. Mr. Townley was enabled to take it away according to an agreement with my brother-in-law. I did not give my brother-in law the £22 back again. The piano was not in Page’s lien. The bill of sale was assigned to Mr. Dufaur first and then transferred to Mr. ]). Pago. I have no horses of my own. I have onlv one in my possession, which belongs to my son. The hill of sale covered everything I had. I value my property at present at about £3O. I have two theodolites, which would not fetch more than £3O at the outside. For one I paid £36 and the other £3O. I value my tools at 255. I received £202 from Mr. Ward and £lO or £45 from Captain Porter for the Waipiro Block survey. The latter was for extra labor. 1 cannot tell whether I received this £202 previous to my last bankruptcy. I did not do any survey work in the Waipiro block for Mr. Harding or for any person on his behalf. I have not done work for Mr. J. N. Williams, directly or indirectly. At the time I performed the survey of the Waipiro b'oek Mr. Wi'liams was not interested in that block. 1 have not done surveys for Porter & Croft directly oi indirectly. Mi-.. Finn thought they would be compelled to apply to the Court to get these answers correctly.

Examination continued—l had no arrangements with the Natives that Porter and Croftw should pay me. The Natives gave me to understand that Porter & Croft were advancing them monies to pay for the surveys. To the Assigne—l showed one creditor of monies paid by Porter & Croft to Mrs. O’Meara. I have not got the list with me, but it can be obtained.

Examination continued—l have never asked the Natives for any monies, but I will do so now. I received £25 last Feb. to enable me to go up the coast. Mrs. O’Meara got £l5 from Mr. Croft and £lO from Capt. Porter. I got £36 from Mr. Graham about a fortnight ago, on account of a survey I did. I gave £2O of that to the landlord, and the rest went to settle small accounts. Mr. Robertson owes me £3G for work done, which I gave to Mr. Graharp. I also gave Mr. Graham a P.N. for the money lent. Riperata owes me £4O for work done. I have received £125 on that block, and then I gave the lien on that survey to Mr. Maude. A proposition was carried to the effect that the meeting stand adjourned until this day week, during which time the Assignee procure finthei’ evidence and subpoena witnesses.