ABOUT BANKRUPTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 53, 3 March 1908, Page 3

ABOUT BANKRUPTS.

MR. J., ASHCROFTS VERDICT. TWO-THIRDS HONEST. ONE-THIRD DOUBTFUL. During th« past quarter of a • century Mr: James Aeheroffc has conducted enquiries at aboct 2500 meetings of creditors;" acd he naturally has some interesting reminiscences of these investigations. "I ihink that , tyro- thirds of the bankrupts ore honest," 'he remarked yesterday. "The remaining third consists of different kinds of doubtful character." Ha hsc been charged with being tco kind to bankrupts, be says, but he lias nerer failed to take up a case where there -was any reai ground for severity. ■ "Creditors," he adds, "should do something to insist upon a better system of book-keeping It is useless to "say thut credit was given too recklessly, because it always has been so. Creditors might exercise an influence upon traders to keep decent, though not elaboritc, books. ' Mr Ashcroft once said thst the yositicn is very much like that of a ravly-married 'couple — "John rpmnrkei to his -wife: 'Now. my dear, I trill give co much every mor.th, and you must keep an account of it. Here is a little book in which to do so.' At the end of the month' John ' aaid : 'Well, my dear, have you kept an account?' 'Fes,' replies the wif», 'here it is,' On openinjr the book -the h'^bard saw on one side : 'John gave me £20.' On • the oth«T the entry was : Sper.t it nil- " That io as much information as can be got from most of the books, concluded Mr. Ashcroft.