JUDGE DENNISTOUN ON BANKRUPTS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1881, 20 April 1889, Page 3

JUDGE DENNISTOUN ON BANKRUPTS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,— Judge Ward said he would rather have men ask why he was not appointed than why he was appointed. If Mr Justice Dennistoun said what he is reported to have Baid in your issue of last Saturday, we may w«U ask why he was appointed. There certainly is a difference between the bankrupt with £SO or £6O of debts and no assets and one with* £50,000 of debts and a fen thousand pounds of assets, but from a moral point of view I submit the difference is m favor of the one without assets. The small bankrupt is often a working man, who unwillingly gets into debt through want of employment or some kindred misfortune, and driven to seek the protection of the Court by the tyranny of a senseless creditor. The other is generally a reckless trader in a hurry to get ricb. It would be a great advantage to the mord growth of ihe community if . (there were no bankruptcy laws, but while are I fail to see why there should be respect of persons. Judge Dennistoun baa no objection to sponging the great rascal : Wby should he object to hiß litte brother? It appears as if there wna no crime in New Zealand, bo heinous as the crime of being poor. No matter how much roguery may be necessary to the acquisition of wealth, rich we must be or cease to exist, or at least aristocratic. If we cannot do batter, aristocratic bankruptcy will do. If Judge Dennistoun's remarks are a fair specimen of his sense of justice he should take a friends advice and resign before the humbugs who gave him the appointment are kicked into obscurity. If we chance to get a just, intelligent Government he is sure to get into troubled waters. He would be better at his old job, wrangling with judges.—l am, etc., Demo.