The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-26
UNDER BANKRUPTCY tbN.
REPORT OF IRIS OPERATION SINCE
THE ACT OF Isos.
Advantage Being Taken of II by
Men In All Sections and I'm All
walk. of Life-IlIiaeis Leads I'm
the Number of Its Petitioners.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 5.-E. c. Brand
enburg, in charge Of bankruptcy matters.
has made a report to the attorney general
on the operation of the bankruptcy act of
July /. 1855 The report says. with refer
ence to voluntary cases, that advantage
Is being taken OF the law by men Of all
classes and in all walks OF life and in ev-
cry section OF the country. The states
showing the greatest number OF petitions
during the past year are Illinois. with
s.oDs: New York. 1907: Iowa. se2; Ohio. s57 !;
Minnesota. si5; Pennsylvania. 500. The
smallest number of voluntary petitions
were filed In the following states: Ne
yada, 6: Delaware and Wyoming. II each;
Idaho %. South Carolina. 81: Oklahoma,
80: Florida 81: Rhode Island, g..
The grand total Of petitions filed in the
United States for the period ending Sep
tember 90. 1890, is - lbs. exclusive Of those
for the Western district OF Louisiana. the
district Of Alaska for half Of the year,
for the Southern district OF Georgia New
Jersey, the Eastern district of North
Carolina, the Western district Of Tennes-
see and The Eastern district Of Virginia.
from which semi-annual reports were not
received.
From the clerks report Il appears. that
the voluntary petitioners all were adjudi-
Gated bankrupts. except 80. in whose
cases the petitions were dismissed, and
that discharges were refused In q cases
The liabilities In 1850 voluntary cases
reported by the referee amounted 10 $St,-
s7tl52. while the total amount 81 assets
scheduled IN these. cases was Sss.ge u
that OF the petitions fied In eighty-six
cases the liabilities were less than SOD;
IN 1873 cases between 500 and 500 IN
2.3ss cases. between $500 ana N,1a. in sol
cases. between sl.oo and 5000: In 2.y4i
cases, between s. 900 and $4,000. in i.sI2
cases ,,etwecn 10000 and $4,000. and In
80 !. 1u..n sf<ts.
ports also show that In liJo7 eases assets
werr scheduled. while lsi3 petitioners had
no assets
The nature Of the business in which the
petitioning bankrupss were engaged, dis
flosef by the summary OF the referae's
reports IL proportional AZ follows 25g7
were farmers, 1918 wage earners. 4,5s2
merchants, 3sl manufacturers, so profess
SIGNAL men, and 4.455 contractors. hotel
keepers and others OF miscellaneous
character.
fled of which adiudicstlons were made
in all exeeat s25 cases OF the invoin-
tary cases. nifty compositions were en-
tered into by the hankrupts and the cred
itors who were confirmed.
Amount Of Liabilities.
The liabilities involved in 1s4s cases
upon which reports were made were ST.,
l7As0l. while the assets were scheduled
AZ xs, -. 800 In two hundred cases no
assets were scheduled. and In a number
they we're cassed unknown or nominal
The petitions show that of those adtu-
dcated involuntary bankrupts. sixty-four
were wage sArners. Ga merchants. fos
manufacturers. ninety professional. 3Ss
miscellaneous and seven farmers
While under the law farmer or wage
Garner cannot be atiudicated an invol-
nntary bankrupt. u IL quite probable that
they were engaged Ia other cailfngs at
The time OF the Adjudication, and that the
debts were incurred while employed In
one Of the excepted pursuits or other
wise.
During the past year there has been
no material change In the business trans
actions. The magnitude OF business under
the voluntary feature On the law, the re-
port says. seems large, yet Mr.. Branden-
burg ~ constrained to believe thar a good
Der cent Ia made an on old Insoiyerfs ana
unless business conditions materially
change, a considerable decrease la PEE
titions Of this character would follow
shortly.
There has been an Increase Of little more
than no petitioners under the InvoIun-
tary feature ~ the law which, Says the
with the Impression heretofore current
that the law has favored the debtor
rather than the creditor.
The necessity Of perfection Of the law
by mandatory LEGISLATION r. declared TO be
a matter ~ common knowledge. The re-
port SAYS that. while Il doubtless would
nor be well 20 urge any sweeping amend
msnt, congress should give its attention
80 he provision covered hy the section
81 O. Of the law. which has been varl-
ausiy Interpreted hy the courts. the
weight - the authority. included with
which are two ciycui, courts of appeals
sus tanning She paaitien that payment on
account. made within four months must
be first surrendered before the balance ~
tho claim " tho creditor 10 whom such
payment has been made. can be proved
and allowed. which Interpretation. the re-
port declares. IL meeting with universal
disapprcyai on The part 81 the commercial