The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, MAY 19, 1884. THE NEW BANKRUPTCY ACT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1689, 19 May 1884, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, MAY 19, 1884. THE NEW BANKRUPTCY ACT.

The new Bankruptcy Act lias been in operation some four and a half months, a time insufficient to test its efficiency, but long onough to craito an impression on the mind of tho public in its favor. Technical faults have as a matter of course been discovered among its clauses, but this is the common fate of our Colonial Legislation generally. No measure which passes the House apparently comes out in a matured form, These imperfections are to be regretted becauso they occasion a good deal of money to bo transferred from the pockets ol the public to tho pouches of the fraternity, The new Bankruptcy Act,.making allowances for the customary proportion of errors of omission and commission, seems to work well so far, It is quite evident that assets in bankruptcy estates are realised more speedily under it than under its predecessor, and this is the best guarantee which creditors can have of obtaining quick and substantial dividends. In tho Wairarapa we have hardly at present reached tho dividend singe under the new Act, but there appears to be every [inspect of obtaining them, when it is reached, to a greater extent than formerly, The Official Assignee system seems to be working well, though possibly this may be due in a measure to the alacrity which usually characterises new brooms. When things settle .down under tho new Act, possibly the officials who administer it will get into a groove in which red tape formula will be substituted to a certain degree for the energy which is now displayed in the conduct of bankruptcy cases But allowing for a certain degree of diminution iu official zeal an assignee is a much more efficient agent for winding up thoestnte than tho creditors' trustee of tho old Act. As a rule the creditors' trustee was open to be influenced by a personal regard for tho debtor or a feeling of hostility against him, When the former was the case the debtor had things made too easy for him, but when the latter condition existed the lot of the bankrupt was a hard one. The. Official Assignee is not influenced either for or against a debtor. ■ His 'object is rather to administer the Act faithfully and to attain a reputation for impartiality. If tho careful administration which is now apparent is maintained tho Bankruptcy Court will becomo a terror to evildoers and a harbor of refuge only to those who can show that they have conducted their business transactions fairly and with a reasonable degree of prudence. We fancy that in the past but a small percentage of/bankrupts who have obtained their discharge could bo classed under this latter category, but we trust to see them in time constitute the bulk of the cases which come ■ before the Court.

In our report of the Into Featherston Soireo, the name of Mrs Bunny should have appeared, in place -of that of Mr Bunny, ns tho leading promoter of the entertainment.. ■■

We notice that " Clayson," the .wall known caterer, opened his net? establishment opposite the Club Hotel on Saturday last with a largo and varied stock of all tho dolicftcios of tho season.

• An old woman named Pyke oomiuitted suicide by drowning at the Upper flutt on Saturday; khe threw herself into the river, and was seen by her husband, who sprang in after her, but was unable to save her. Mrs Pyke was believed to havobeon of weak .Intellect", A correspondence on Asbestos paint is being carried on in a Wellington paper. This paint is a ifcunding joko in Masterton 1 It was put on the new Courthouse by the Government Architect, and one inspection of it is sufficient to convince any spectator that there is a bee in the bonnet of the said Architect.

A runaway horso and cart was very pluokily stopped while galloping ihrough Queen street, Mastenon, this morninj,' by Mr John Thompson, who rushed up to tho horsa's head, and with onb hand on the shaft of the cart and tho oilier on the rein, brought tho animal to n full stop, thereby probably saving a serious-acci-dent.

Mr Wardell intimated to llio bar this morning that the old arrangement,' by which solicitors wero ollowod to bring on their cases at eleven o'clock, must bo determined, and that they must be pre* pared io answer to thoir names at ten. Mr Beard pleaded -that the bar be allowed the same privilege as in Wellington, viz:, half-paH ten. This the Court could not concede, but promised i hat in any special oase, where country witnesses could not attend at ten, to meet the convenience of the counsel,

MrW, Moriarty, boot and shoo manufacturer and importer, of Masterton, Carterton, and Groytown, announces a great clearin; sale, during the.contiuuauea of which ho states lie intends to sacrifice profits in order to effect a reduction in his stuck. He finds this course necessary as he has just completed the erection of a factory at his establishment in Carterton, which is fitted wish all the latest improve ments in machiuory for the manufacture of boots and shoes, and ho must make room for his own-made goods.

Our local contemporary lias publMied tho following anonymous letter:-" By tho pro:eedin»s,at the la'o meeting of the committee, I am made to understand that the Mhsterton Hospital is now full, and no more palienta can be admitted. It seems strange to mo that in so large a building, provision should bo mado for so few patients. I was sorry to see to-day a working man and a subscriber openly refused admittance, and ono that really required medical caro and attention." The assertion that no more paliems could bo admitted is altogether a wrong one, and probably the smtement about a working man and a subscriber is another fiction emanating from the anonymous writer, who ia apparently anxious to give the Hospital a stab in tho dark.

The Salvation Army barracks wore crowded last evening, Shortly after tho servico commenced, a lioavy Btoho shot through a window over the platform and struck Mrs Preston (late of Claroville), who was one ot tho audience, cutting her face opeu, Mrs Preston had to be carried out of tho barracks in a faintinifcondi'ioii, and considerable excitement prevailed, A member of the Army outside (Mr Day) observed three youths throwing at the buildiug, but unfortunately was not close enough to them to identify tho one that injured Mrs Preston. It is possible that' the act was not the dastardly outrage it appears to bs, as the stone might havo been aimed for tho roof, and not intended to go through tho window. It is obvioua that tho larrikin in this town require a lesson, and tho Sooner one is given the bettor.

A pious wis]), but one seldom gratified, is not infrequently expressed by a certain section of church-gners for a good old homily now and then instead of tho scrappy aerinon written under high pressure. But there are few congregations like that o{ Helinalay in Yorkshire, which can enjoy a discourse composed and delivered in the s.ime parish 750 years ago. Yet not long ago their enterprising vicar, the Bev C. Gray disinterred and preached such a discourse with a few 1 prefatory remarks on ihe personages and history of the time, which tho good people of Helmsley last heard from the lips of St, Aldred. Abbot of Bivauix, It may be interesting to Scotch antiquarians to know that the Saint, who had been there .as tutor to King David's son, became a monk in consequence of witnessing tho" abominable depravity" of tho Scotch Court.—Pall Mall Gazetto, .

The money value of tho turtle imported into London yearly is stated to bo £25,000. There were 520 fewer failures in England and Wale 9 in 1883 than in 1882, and a decrease in bills of sale of 29,915. Tho di'.ioon's -nfo wanted to iot down the text, and'loaning over toher scapegrace nephew, she whi pered, " Havo you a card about you ?" " Yon can't play m church!" was his solemn, reproving answer; and the good woman was so flustered that she forgot all about the text,

Charles Frisk, ono of the three lunatics who recently-escaped at Birmingham after attending a pantomime, has been indent!lied as having deserted from nine differont regiments after as many enlistments; While in tho lunatic asylum he niadi, skeleton keys from copper wire 1 to dpi' nearly every door in tho place. r

Privato Drummond, of tho Blacli Watch, who killed Sheikh Mahomed, the 1 commander of the rebels at Tamaneh'J would, for a similar service, have probably! been knighted in tho old days,

Tho society founded in Germany scarcely three years ago to collect tho ends of cigars to soil thorn for plilan« thropic purposes has now 500,000 membera, Last year itsrevenue amouated to 130,000 francs.

"PnYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF," exclaimol tho apostle, and tho laconic exhortation applies to mankind, themselves their own, best, and truest nhyscians if they turn not a deal ear to tho " wisdom" that "crioth without" and "uttcrclh hor voico h tho street," This wisdom teaches that thoio is a "balm in Gilcad," and that balm is to bo found In tho rimedics that havo been known to effect positive and ridical cures; such, for instance, as UDOLPHO WOLFE'S SCHIEDAM AROMATIC SCHNAPPS, coming b us, as it docs, crowned with the sanction of jefra of oxperlmcut, trial, and uso. \

Well's "rough oh Corns".- Ask for Well's "Rough on Corns." 7Jd, Qiiek relief, complete, permanent care. C(rns, warts, bunions, Moses, Moss & Co., Sydiey, General Afrents.—Advt,

After several years experience in supplying watches for the colonial market, Littlejohn and Sod, of .Lambton'Quay, have observed the need for a thoroughly sound English Lever Watch at a lower pice than that usually paid for such watches. 1 It is only bj the judicious division of laborW by the manufacture of large quantities oa a uniform plan, that we are enabled to rioet this want We have now the pleasurj of introducing our Six Guinea Hunting Siver Lever, This watoh, being Bimple in diign durable, Jiighly finished, and aacurate,fujfila, all the requirements of a pooket timekeaier, A written guarantee for two years' will be given with each waish. Sent by entirely packed, on receipt of Post Ufice order or cheque,—(Adyt) j I

Two liorsea strayed from paddooW at' Maaterton are advertised,'': :-;'.;

'The'resolutions of'-tho ;Mastertori Borough Council ro by-laws ait advertised in another column. !v;

The Bey L. U: Isitt has found dead'o'ne of his prize Dorking fowls, imported by him from Christehurch. From a wound inthe side of the head it is evident that this bird was killed by a ferret. Quite a feature of Saturday's football play at Newtown, writes; the/Times was the aucceßH of the Poneke, Club, who put. three-teams into tho field and won every match, The Eugby match was a rather olose affur, but the two college matches were won with comparative ease; and the Poneko Club has an indisputable right, bo far, to be styled tho premier junior of the season.

The Bih competition for Captain Donald's cup took place at"the Manaia butts on Saturday, and resulted in Vol Goo, Bentley obtaining ,49, Cbrpl. Mhtihews 40, Oorpl."Kibblewhite, '- and Vol Bright 47. The ammunition waß again complained of ns being ~f inferior quality, Tho last range was fired at nearly dusk. There aro three members of the corps who"have only to make one mure win to secure the trophy ns their own, viz., Lieut. Wilton, Vol. G. Bmtloy, and Curpl. A, Matthews.

Fhes and Boos —Beetles, insects, roaohes ants, bed-bugs, rats, mice, gophers, jack'rabbits, cleared out by "Hough on Hats" 7Jd Moses Moss and Co., Sydney, General Agents.