FEW RESPOND TO COOKHOUSE GONG

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 85, 1 July 1927, Page 13

FEW RESPOND TO COOKHOUSE GONG

CHEFS HARD-BOILED DEBTS A CULINARY FIASCO It was bad luck for Albert Waterman. proprietor and chef of a cookhouse in an Auckland Public Works camp, that his invitation. “Come to the cookhouse door, boys!” met with disappointing patronage. When he took upon himself the task of feeding the camp he had somehow persuaded himself that there would be a daily total of 120 men to cater for, and working on that basis he laid in heavy stocks of provisions, only to find that considerably fewer men entered his savoury doors. In consequence of his mistake Waterman went bankrupt, and had had to meet his creditors yesterday at the office of the official assignee, Mr. G. N. Morris. Waterman’s schedule showed an amount of £613 owing to unsecured creditors. The only assets consisted of furniture valued at £25. The deficiency was therefore; £ SSS. In a written statement bankrupt said he was a married man with two children. Last June he took over a cookhouse at the Public Works camp on the Bombay deviation. He stated he was guaranteed the attendance at meals of 50 men by the Public Works Department and later was asked to take over another cookhouse for the accommodation of TO workers, but the numbers were never there. Two assistants which he had to engage involved the expenditure of £S a week. . Finding the first restaurant was not paying, he asked the department to close it down. This request was acceded to, but was not carried out until two months after the application. He estixxls , during this period at £IOO. He also lost about £SO on account of bad debts. Examined by Mr. Morris, bankrupt said he had kept no list of men owing him money for meals. Before he took over the cookhouse he was working as a cook on wages between £4 and £5 a week. At the time of starting with the Public Works he owed about £ 30. “Could you prepare a statement of your accounts during the time you were running the cookhouse?” “Mo, I don’t think I could,” • said Waterman. “Then your books are not worth much, eh?” observed Mr. Morris. Several creditors asserted that they had seen bankrupt at practically ail the race meetings since Easter. “It is most unsatisfactory,” said Mr. Morris. “He has gone back £6OO, and his books are absolutely no use to us.” On the motion of a creditor it was decided to accept an offer of £57 for the remaining stores at the camp. The Official Assignee was instructed to oppose bankrupt’s discharge.