STRATFORD

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1917, Page 3

STRATFORD

[All communication.?, letters, etc., left : with -Mr. J. Hopkins, bookseller, will receive prompt' attention.] IN'BAXjKRUPTOY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Tuesday, Feb. 6. _ The Deputy Official Assignee, Mr. J. S. S. Medley, presided n't Monday's mooting of creditors in the estate of A. D. Cuff, cycle agent. The bankrupt's statement showed secured liabilities at £528, unsecured £055; total, £1483. A=sels included: Slock, £300; bookdebts, estimated to produce £200; equity on section of land at Wanganui, £7O; household furniture, £3O; balance at bank, £5; total, £CO.i. Secured creditors included: Simplex Milking Machine Co., £l5O, against a debt of .CCfiS; and James and Gillman, £l3O, against a debt of £145. The statement handed in by the bankrupt was to the effect that lie took over the garage business with a eapit.il of £SO in October, lfllo, having previously been agent for the Simplex Milking Machine Co. He secured ihe Ford agency for Stratford in February, WIG, and spent a good deal in advertising and canvassing.. Owing to prices j advancing, ho considered he lost £IOO, i The milking machine business run by him developed considerably, but owing to various reasons, chiefly through enlistments, he found it difficult to secure sklled labor, and until the workmen were broken in their work was unprofit- ; able. An epidemic of accidents made matters worse, whilst damage to motorcycles, and repairs to same ran well over £l5O. His commission from the Simplex Company during 1910 was over £IOOO, and travelling expenses approximately £ISOO. The losses here, he considered, were about £OOO. He had onij drawn the barest living expenses, and exercised the greatest economy possible to push the business ahead, but . without success. Mr. S. Spence represented the debtor, who was asked a few questions by the Deputy Official Assignee. At Wanganui he was on the Simplex a salary of £5 per week. His engagement in Taranaki for the company was on a commission of 20 per cent. When taking over the Ford cars his commission on the milking machines was raised to 25 per cent. The commissions from November, 1010, up to filing . amounted to i £IOOS. He had no prospects, and could not make any outside ofTer. A motion was carried, instructing the Deputy Official Assignee to sell the stock by auction, and to realise the book debts. The bankrupt was allowed his furniture, whilst the Deputy Official Assignee will make inquiries regarding the value of the equity of the section at Wanganui. GENERAL. There will be no Easter gymkhana this year. The number of men examined by the Medical Board yesterday totalled. 47, and of this number 31 were passed as fit, 10 available for home service, and six declared permanently unfit. The Stratford branch of the W.C.T.U. is reviving the 0 o'clock closing. A public meeting is to be held, and an address on "Liquor ■Reform," to be delivered by the Kev. If. Tinsley. \V. S. Synie, prior to leaving for camp on Monday, was presented with a set of pipes by his comrades of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile staff. Mr. Hewitt (manager) made the presentation, and expressed appreciation of Mr. i Symes' work during his six years' connection with the firm. The next meeting of tile Taranaki War Belief Association will be held here on Monday morning. "When the gentle breezes blow" is a. well-known quotation. There was nothing gentle about the breeze that swept Stratford during the day. One would have thought the continuous and heavy rains would |iave laid the dust for many days. This was not tbe case, however. The rain freshened up the turnip crops, and will do an immense amount of good. There is a keen demand for the Daily News here. It is not uncommon to sec a knot of men surrounding the morning paper in search of war- and sporting news. Stratford evidently is a strong military and sporting centre. Whore there's smoke there's fire, and where there's smoke there's pleasure, nrcvided always the smoker knows wiiat he is reducing to ashes. Those who know a good cigar, the taste of the best tobacco, etc., will find these, and pipes, etc., at C. E. James' Fancy Goods Warehouse*