The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-29
WANT 1T REPEALED
TRAVELLING MEN PROTEST
AGAINST BANKRUPTCY ACT.
AMENDMENT MAY SERVE
LAW IS NOW OPERATING TO DE-
FRAUD CREDITORS.

TraveIers' Protective Association n
to Be Asked to Take the Matter
Up with the National Board Oi
ContrOI-In This Manner 1t Il
Hoped the Cooperation of All the
Posts in the Country Will Be Sc
cured-The Proper Usefulness OF
the Act Has Passed and Its Every
LaudabIe Purpose Has Been Con-
served.
A meeting of Post A of the Travellers
Protective Association was held in the
parlors of the Screven House yester-
day afternoon, at which it was unan-
imously determined to institute a
movement, or rather to assist the pres
ent movement for the repeal or mate
rial amendment of the bankruptcy
law.
The resolutions that are hoped will
accomplish much in this direction were
introduced by President Max Krauss,
who vacated the chair for this pur-
pose. AS introduced by Mr.. Krauss
the resolutions provided for the dis
patch of the following circular letter
to Congress. through the senators from
the state and the representative from
this district:
''To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States. We,
the members of Post A, Travellers
Protective Association, of Savannah,
Ca, in meeting assembled, hereby re-
spectfully petition the Congress of the
United States in favor of the repeal of
the existing National Bankruptcy Act,
or its amendment in such degree as to
effectually prevent it's use for fraudu-
lent purposes.
Our long experience and constant
close communication with the varied
business interests of the section tribu-
tary to Savannah, including large sec
tions of the states of South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida and Alabama, have
shown us that the present bankruptcy
law has fully served the purpose for
which it was intended, that it has re-
lieved honest bankrupts of the in
debtedness that prevented them from
entering on new business projects, and
has served as a medium whereby the
business world has adjusted long
standing accounts and been placed on
a surer foundation for future work and
credit.
''At the same time we realize that
the period of the proper usefulness
of this law has passed, and that, with
very rare exceptions, advantage will
be taken of it in the future for the
defrauding of creditors by alleged in
C0lWnnfG Drhn 6U
ton, pay their just debts. Already
many have availed themselves of its
provisions to wipe out accounts which
they could pay if so inclined, and the
tendency appears to us to be toward
further and increased abuse of the
law in this way.
I'VE accordingly urge that the law,
as it now stands, be repealed or such
rigid restrictions thrown about its ap-
plication as will prevent the further
violation of its real intent in the man
ner indicated above
1t was subsequently determined that
instead of making this communication
Immediately from the local post. that
the action of the post should be COM
municated to the State Board of Con-
troll, with the request that it be taken
up with the National Board of Control.
with the ultimate purpose of securing
the concurrent action of all the posts
throughout the country. 1t is believed
that in this way very much greater M
fluence will be welded.
The travelling men have become very
much impressed with the fact that
some modification of the existing ma
tional act of bankruptcy is very urg-
entity needed and that in it's present
operation it is resulting in very great
injustice. The movement inaugurated
by the local post is the product of this
feeling.
At the meeting yesterday Mr.. Joseph
Lovenstein, who was the representa-
tive of Post A at the last National
Convention, made an interesting report
of what had been done at that time.
The report was received with enthusi-
asm by the members present.
The State Convention of the Trav-
elers' Protective Association is to be
held in March, and a special effort will
be made largely to increase the men,
bership of the local post which, in the
opinion of its officers and members, is
not what it should be. The association
has done much for the furtherance of
business interests throughout the coun-
try and it believes it should have the
enthusiastic cooperation of business
men. In the matter of membership and
efficiency the post has always taken
first place in the state organization,
and it has no desire to lose the dis
tinction it has secured.
The post had the pleasure of the
presence at the meeting and an address
from Mr.. r. L. Wylly, the state presi-