BANKRUPT CARRIER.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1922, Page 6

BANKRUPT CARRIER.

FAILURE THROUGH ILL HEALTH. MEETING OF CREDITORS. The meeting of creditors in the estate of Walter John Priar, carrier, Barrett Road, called by the Deputy Official Assignee (Mr. J. S. S. Medley) for yesterday afternoon, lapsed for want of a quorum. The statement of assets and liabilities showed unsecured creditors to a total of £269 13s 6d, made up as follows: W. P. Nicoll, £100; Bruce and Feakins, £l3 10s; W. E. Russell, £7 10s; Taranaki Hospital Board, £25; Hooker Bros., £3 15s; F. Bremnuhl, £3 12s 6d; A. Rookes, £l4 Ils; H. Hendricksen, £7; E. J. Priar, £66 (wages) ; J. Roberts, £25; and W. C. Weston, £3 15s, all the creditors being of New Plymouth. There was a secured creditor in N. A. Nesbitt, of Kaeo, for £l2O, but the security was estimated to yield only £6O. The assets were set down as £ll 2s, book debts, leaving a net deficiency of £338 Ils 6d. The bankrupt, examined by the D.O A., stated that he had been engaged as a carrier since September 9, 1916, when his brother-in-law, Nesbit, advanced him £l2O for the purpose of procuring four horses and an express, taking a bill of sale as a security. None of this money had been repaid, nor had the interest been paid. He did so well for the first three years that he managed to keep another express and three more horses going all the time. These he procured for £25 cash, taking over a mortgage of £lOO for the balance. Instead of paying off Nesbit., he paid off £4O for the additional outfit, but owing to h’s health breaking down he could not keep up the payments and the mortgagor took possession. In 1919 he became ill with muscular rheumatism and was confined to bed for twelve months, afterwards going to Ngawha hot springs for treatment, where h; was cured. On the way home he collapsed with a serious internal complaint and was a patient at the Auckland Hospital for 44 months, returning to New Plymouth about 20 months ago. He could not now do anything more than driving, one of his sons doing the actual lifting work. Nearly all the debts were of long standing and he had incurred very little debt during the past year, except the hospital account. He had a family of four, three of whom were grown up, and he at tributed his bankruptcy to his illness. He filed his schedule owing to being pressed by some of his creditors, but he was satisfied he could have paid his debts had he been able to work. Two of the horses which were included in Nesbit’s security were now dead, one having broken a pin bone and the other dying of gripes. No action was taken.