The sun., 1908-08-24
PRODIGAL SONS.
spendthrift British Bankrupts OF the "Up-
per Middle Glass;
From tAs London Eetntnp .standa,d,

From ne London Eetntno STANDARD,
report like that Of the Inspector General IN
Bankruptcy 10 astonishing enough 70 us OF this age
and generation. In mid Victorian times IL would
have been hardly comprehensive.
Those failures of 1907 which were due to personal
extravaganza are stated to be noteworthy for the
rapdlty with which the debtors succeeded In dissi
paung substantial inheritanoes Several Instances
are given In one case debtor with an income OF
e7.ooo was found 70 have spent about Efs,ooo o
year. In another csse the debtor, on reaching the
ago ofss shortly before his bankruptcy. became en-
ttlod to property estimated ~ e4t7 900. but this
ct the date OF the receiving order he had created
charges exceeding R4so.00o.
In q third case the debtor, when be was a. be-
came entitled 10 an income OF moro than E4sooo.
within Q comparatively short time he was charg-
ing his life estate and efeotinG policies a. security
for loans until In eighteen years he owed Rteo 900
thus secured. while his unsecured debts amounted
toupward of E4o,ooo. The latter wero subsequently,
paid and suitable allowance provided for the
debtor. but his oxpcnses again greatly exceeded
his income. and at the date OF the receiving order
he owed Ell. 900 unsecured
The men who came these heavy -cropper"
appear TO have belonged to the station Of life TO
which the general run Of Anthony Trolope's char
ecters may be assigned. For lack OF o better
definition We call II the upper middle class. Now
Trollopes novels may be confidently accepted by
those Of Us who do not remember early and mid
Victorian times. - faithful representations Of
habita. ways OF life and modes Of social thought.
Trollope knew the sort Of income which members
Of the upper middle class considered convenient
for marrying bringing up family (which was
often isrge and generally enjoying their existence
upon.
We nnd him mentioning Esooo ~ Q rood standby.
while E3.ooo or 90 made one Of his characters .
wealthy man and another character most desirable
hetress. Wen. even In these days no sensible man
or woman despises $500 or even E1.ooo Many
very sensible men and women would be delighted 70
get ~ much. But they would mot dream OF regard.
degree. To be thought more than comfortably on
In that part Of the modern world which spproxi-
mates to Trollope's world one must begin 70 count
ones income In tens o( thousands.
What would the society Troilopc depleted have
said Of man who found f4oooo . year hopelessly
insufncient 70 pay his wsyf We fancy they would
have been shocked TO hear OF the smaller Of the
Inspector Generals rcvelations-of the income Of
E7.ooo. the annual expenditure OF fzS.ooo. The
modern observer IL not shocked. He may. 90 We
have said. be succnty surprised at the lauentabie
inability 70 Gus the coat according 70 the cloth when
the cloth has 20 generous dimensions. but he 10 not
likely 70 make the mistake Of supposing thar fte0oo
10 enough. In certain corners OF tho fashionable
world 70 relieve the owner from all pccuniary care.
wehAve not hsd an op portunlty Of examining the
by the Inspector-General In Bankruptcy. II is
stated however, that these fortunes inherited.
and We may fairly conclude thar tho inheritors
dispensed with work Of any kind-that they lived
idiy--lived for pleasure. so-caiied;