CLAIMS OF IRELAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21327, 31 October 1932, Page 9

CLAIMS OF IRELAND

RECENT NEGOTIATIONS

BRITISH ATTITUDE STATED

ISSUE OF WHITE PAPER

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received October 30, 6.35 p.m.) ' LONDON, Oct. 29

A "White Paper dealing with the recent Anglo-Irish Conference reveals the fact that Mr. de Valera claimed that the Free State was entitled to a share of the United Kingdom's road fund. The British Government agreed, but a dispute arose in regard to the apportionment, which the Free State claimed had been unfair and should be retrospectively revised.

The Treasury regarded this as inadmissible. Both sides thereupon agreed to submit it to arbitration by Sir Henry Strakosch, a member of the Financial Commission of the League of Nations. The Free State claimed compensation in respect of loss consequent on Britain abandoning the gold standard. The British reply was that the abandonment had involved no loss to the Free State, but rather profit. In any case the matter was a domestic one and no claim could be admitted. Claim for Alleged Over-Taxation The Free State claimed recoupment for over-taxation since the union and a share of the assets of the former United Kingdom. It is understood that the amount involved is £400,000,000. The British reply was that it was impossible to establish any clear proof that Ireland had been over-taxed since the date of the union.

Up to the present the Free State has sought to avoid the payment of pensions to the Royal Irish. Constabulary, civil servants and judges employed in Ireland before the creation of the Free State and has argued that the Royal Irish Constabulary occupying force was hostile to the national aspirations and the Irish people.

The British reply to this was that the question of the constabulary was settled by the financial agreements of 1923 and 1926. The Free State took over police functions along with other Governmental responsibilities, Consequently the cost of the pensions was a normal part of the cost of those functions, which any Government would expect to bear. As regards civil and judicial pensions the general principle was that the various departments were handed over as going concerns with assets and liabilities attached. Question of Land Annuities The Free State claimed a share of the assets of the Post Office Savings Bank held against dormant accounts located in the Free State.

The British reply was that it was not possible to agree to the transfer of any part of the balances without the consent of the depositors or their legal representatives.

In regard to the land annuities the White Paper discloses nothing new except the insistence of the Free State that the 1923 financial agreement was not submitted for ratification.

The British reply was that according to the recognised practice among nations the agreements of 1923 and 1926 were binding unless it was expressly stated that they were subject to ratification. No such statement was made in the agreement which was signed by Ministers for each | side.