OLD SOLDIER’S TROUBLES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 718, 18 July 1929, Page 11

OLD SOLDIER’S TROUBLES

MAIL-CONTRACTOR FACES CREDITORS UNPROFITABLE CONTRACTS Press Association HAMILTON, Today. The son of a Wellington doctor, and an ex-member of the Imperial Forces Hush Llewellyn Eccles Richards,’ bankrupt mail contractor of Te Awamutu, appeared before Mr. J. H. Robertson, official assignee, this morning. Mr. A. L. Tompkins, instructed by Mr. F. J. Newberry, appeared on behalf of Hoyes Motors, Ltd., in liquidation. Bankrupt’s schedule showed total debts £350 7s 7d owing to unsecured creditors. The total assets were £6 15s (book debts), leaving a deficiency of £343 12s 7d.

In his statement. Bankrupt said that in January. 1928, he started work on two post office contracts at Te Awarnutu Rost Office to the railway station with a subsidy of £l6O per annum and Te Awamutu to Arapuni, with a subsidy of £240. He purchased a motor-van, which proved defective, and decided to abandon the Te Awamutu contract. The van was recovered by the owners. He made nothing out of his 12 months’ hard work, and his health had suffered. The Arapuni contract was more lucrative, bringing in £3 a day at. times. He bought another car by instalments, which also gave trouble. Competition on this run created further difficulty, and the car was eventually seized by Hoyes Motors, Ltd. From June, 1928, to December, the majority of their present claim was incurred. The firm took action against him in July, 1928. He purchased another car. his wife raising a second mortgage of £IOO on her property for the purpose. He spent £4O of this on another car, and the balance in payment of pressing creditors* A family of four small boys, the illhealth of his wife and a recent accident to himself, owing to a war wound, proved very expensive. He attributed his failure to unfair price cutting on the Arapuni contract, the heavy cost of repairs and replacements on defective cars, and the general decrease in passenger traffic on the Arapuni run during the last 12 months. Bankrupt was unable to make any offer to his creditors. Examined, bankrupt said his father had a good practice in Wellington, but many clients failed to pay. He did not think he could get an advance from his father or wife. It was agreed that bankrupt should carry on with the Arapuni contract, forwarding a monthly statement of his returns to the assignee. The meeting then adjourned on the understanding that bankrupt should forward details of his finances and endeavour to make an offer.