FAN TAN PROFITS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 169, 7 October 1927, Page 9

FAN TAN PROFITS

CHINESE INTEGRITY TRIBUTE FROM JUDGE CREDITOR’S CLAIM UPHELD “It is well known that Chinese ' business men are, as a rule, scrupulously honest and exact in their monetary transactions, and there is no reason to suppose that if the deceased had lived he would have denied the right of the creditor to his share of the profits. In the course of a reserved judgment is morning in the case of Lowe King. • ho sought to obtain from the Public Trustee £539 14s 6d, said to be due to him from the estate of George Ghee, Mr. Justice Stringer paid this tribute to Chinese integrity. The deceased, who was a Chinese merchant in Auckland, died in March. 1926. The money claimed was alleged •to have been the balance held in trust by the deceased. The Public Trustee rejected the claim. The evidence showed that the deceased and Lowe King formed a syndicate to carry on the illegal game of fan tan, and although neither actually conducted the game, both shared in the profits. As the estate had been augmented by the creditor’s money, which had been mixed with the rest of the estate, all that the court could do, continued his Honour, was to order the administrator to admit.the creditor’s claim to proof rateably with the other creditors, and the proof was admitted accordingly. His Honour said the judgment reflected nothing against the Public Trustee, as he had done only the right thing in bringing the question to court.. Mr. S. W. W. Tong appeared for the creditor and Mr. A. H. Johnstone represented the Public Trustee.