The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-26
ME-. Brandenburg's Report to the At
torney General ON Operations Of
the Bankruptcy Law.
OVER 10000 PETITIONS FILED
LIABILITIES In NEARLY 1900 CASES
WERE LESS THAN $500.
Wage Farmers Led I'm Number, with
Merchants Second and Farmers
Third i'm Applying to Courts.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-E. c. Brandon
burg, in charge of bankruptcy matters.
has made report to the attorney general
on the operation of the bankruptcy act of
July /, 1898. He reports, with reference to
voluntary cases, that advantage is being
taken of the law by men Of all classes and
in all walks of life and in every section OF
the country. The States showing the
greatest number of petitions filed during
the year are Illinois. with zoos; New York,
1907; Iowa, 1872; Ohio. s57; Minnesota, $40,
and Pennsylvania, 500. The smallest num-
Der of voluntary petitions were filed in the
following States: Nevada, 6; Delaware and
Wyoming, II each; Idaho. 30; South Caro-
lima, 81; Oklahoma, SO; Florida, 81. and
Rhode Island, So.
The grand total of petitions filed in the
United Sttaes for the period ending Sept.
30 1900, Is 20, 12S, exclusive Of those for the
Western district of Louisiana, the District
of Alaska and for half Of the year for the
Southern district of Georgia, New Jersey,
the Eastern district of North Carolina. the
Western district of Tennessee and the
Eastern district of Virginia, from which
semi-annual reports were not received.
From the clerks reports 1t appears that
of the voluntary petitions all were adjudi-
Gated bankrupt except 237. in which the Pc
titions were dismissed, and that discharges
were refused in seventy-one cases. Com
positions were confirmed in 206 cases. The
liabilities in 1910 voluntary cases reported
by the referees amounted to $264,979 l52.
while the total amount of assets scheduled
I'm these cases was s33.09s III. The sum-
mary also discIoses the fact that OF the Pc
titions filed in eighty-sx cases the liabili-
ties were less than 500; in 1873 cases, be-
tween 500 and $500; in 2,25s cases. between
$500 and $1,000: in 1854 cases, between $1,000
and 5000; in 2,9i1 cases. between 5000 and
$4,000; In 1,s72 cases. between $4,000 and
so, 900, and in 2,l29 cases more than $4,000.
These reports also show that in u.1O7 cases
assets were scheduled. while 1917 petition
ers had no assets.
The nature of the business in which the
petitioning bankrupts were engaged, as
disclosed by the summary OF the referees
reports. Is proportioned as follows: Two
Thousand and ffty-seven were farmers.
1916 wage earners. 4.592 merchants. 361
manufacturers. 500 professional men and
Ass contractors, hotel keepers and others
of miscellaneous character.
In involuntary cases 1.s10 petitions were
filed, of which adjudication was made In
all except 2S5 cases. or the Involuntary
cases fifty compositions were entered into
by the bankrupts and the creditors which
were confirmed. The liabilities involved I'm
1922 cases on which reports were made
were S27, 00l, while the assets scheduled
were SIS. 4S3.2o9. In 200 cases no assets We're
scheduled and in a number they were
classes as unknown or nominal The petit
tons show that of those adjudicated invol-
untary bankrupts "a were wage earners,
69i merchants. l02 manufacturers. profess
sional men, 3ss miscellaneous and farm
ers.
While under the law a farmer or wage
Garner cannot be adjudieated an involun-
tary bankrupt. II is quiee probable that
they were engaged in other callings at the
time of the adjudication and the debts were
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2. COL. 81