Waikato

[NZBC]

FALL IN VEGETABLES WHAFFOR - DURING the past eighteen months no fewer than seven Chinamen have gone bankrupt m Hamilton. The excuse usually put before creditors has been the kesn competition m the fruit and vegetable trade, but there is more than a mild suspicion that a love of fan-tan has played no unimportant part inlining Chinese pockets with European creditors money.

THE latest crash concerns one Wing Lee, whose father, it. was stated, is a big merchant in Canton Wing opened a fruit and vegetable shop in the main street of Waikato's hub about four months ago, and in that tjme ran up debts to unsecured creditors of over £600, his assets being assessed at about £160, although it is doubtful if they will realize anything, like this amount. SING, who is of the young, smiling, round-faced type, when asked it he could speak English, replied with the most' friendly smile: "No, not many," and continued to grimace. NZ Truth , Issue 1080, 12 August 1926, Page 8 paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZTR19260812.2.42&cl=search&srpos=18&e=-------100-PubMetaNZTR-1----0chinese+fruit+auckland-all&st=1

[NZBC]

Ah Moon m Shadow of Prison Walls _____ An Unusually Reckless Chinese. (From "Truth's" South Auckland Rep.) If Ah Moon, formerly ' a Chinese fruiterer m various parts of the Waikato, glimpses his terrestial namesake during the next month, it will be through the "chink" of a prison cell, for last week he was sent to Mt. Eden for thirty days for trading recklessly and contracting debts which he knew he had no reasonable or probable expectation of paying. This Celestial dabbled m no fewer than four different fruit businesses m a very short time, and of none of them did he appear to make a success. He first bought out another Chinaman m the main street of Hamilton and also about the same time purchased a business at Frankton, while he entered . into a partnership with another Chinaman named Wong at Matamata, and subsequently the two of them took over a fruit shop at Morrinsville. He paid £60 for the Hamilton business and disposed of it for £40; and the Frankton business, which cost him £100, he sold for £25, while he estimated his loss on this undertaking at £250. He also considered he had dropped £ 300 on the Matamata business and £185 on the Morrinsville outfit. In his schedule, his total debts were set down at £446, and his assets at £180. The latter, however, realised only £130. The Deputy-Official Assignee, Mr. V. H. ganson, said he had investigated the bankruptcy and Ah Moon's financial history and he stated it as his definite opinion that the Chinaman must have known that he was hopelessly insolvent immediately after his failure m the Matamata business. Three different debtors stated that Ah Moon contracted debts with them between September of last year and May of this year, when he filed. Clement Ah Chee, Chinese fruit merchant of Auckland, said that m December of last year Ah Moon bought goods from his firm to the value of £86, for which he had not paid. Chinese business men were not accustomed to the methods adopted by Ah Moon, and his compatriots had desired that the prosecution should take place. He (witness) had been the prime mover towards the prosecution

He was at present doing his best to rehabilitate himself and was working for wages at Manaia. Counsel asked that the benefits of the First Offenders' Act be extended to accused. Mr. W. H. Platts, S.M., said he was satisfied that bankrupt had brought himself within the penal clauses of the Bankruptcy Act. He went from' one business to another carrying to each a legacy of loss and debt. He undoubtedly had been trading recklessly and incurring debts which he must have known he had no reasonable or probable prospect of paying. His own countrymen had actually condemned him and his Worship could see no alternative but to send him to gaol. He sentenced accused to a month's imprisonment without hard labor.

NZ Truth , Issue 1025, 18 July 1925, Page 8