SPENT £72,000 A YEAR

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 497, 29 October 1928, Page 9

SPENT £72,000 A YEAR

EXTRAVAGANT DUKE REGISTRAR’S TERSE COMMENT (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) LONDON, Saturday. “It may be difficult for a man to be economical when he is a duke, but at least he ought to behave like a gentleman.” The Registrar of the London Bankruptcy Court, thus censured the Duke of Manchester to-day, in suspending his discharge for three years. The story revealed in court was one of remarkable extravagance. The duke had failed for the second time. On the previous occasion, in 1926, his liabilities totalled £129,656, and his assets £2OO. Subsequently a dividend of Is in the pound was paid. The duke admitted that at one period his household and personal expenditure amounted to £72,000 a year, which was £20,000 in excess of his income. His personal debts included £2,859 owing to jewellers, £IS3 to tailors, £270 to hosiers, £I,OOO for hotel expenses, £916 in respect of his house at Gloucester Gate, £976 for tennis balls and racquets, and £1,220 for ladles’ dresses. Bankrupt’s counsel said the duke had succeeded to the title at an early age. He had been brought up without an occupation and everyone assumed he was enormously rich. It would be difficult for him to cut down his expenditure. The Registrar said there were no mitigating circumstances. People had been victimised, yet the duke was in receipt of a large income. It was unjustifiable and reckless extravagance.