11

H.—25

lii addition to the sum of £22,654 3s. 2d. admitted and credited by tlie German Clearing Office as shown above, interest thereon amounting to £5,592 19s. 2d. has also been credited by that Office. The amount admitted, less a deduction of 2| per cent., being Clearing Office commission thereon, has been paid by this Office to the New Zealand claimants. Since the last report claims totalling £3,291 4s. 7d., together with Treaty interest thereon, amounting to £76 15s. 9d., have been admitted by the German Clearing Office, and claims totalling £1,733 4s. lOd. have been withdrawn by the New Zealand Clearing Office. The total amount of claims disposed of during the year under this heading is therefore £5,024- 9s. sd. (b.) Claims by German Nationals against New Zealand Nationals under Article 296 of the Treaty of Versailles. 1 ; 466 claims received from the German Clearing Office through the £ s. d. £ s. d. Central Clearing Office .. .. .. .. .. 210,177 1 10 Claims retransferred to the Central Clearing Office as not applicable to New Zealand .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,241 12 8 Claims withdrawn in whole or in part by the German Clearing Office in response to letters of contest forwarded by this Office on behalf of the alleged New Zealand debtors .. .. .. .. 158,051 10 11 Claims admitted in whole or in part by New Zealand firms and credited to the German Clearing Office .. .. .. .. 29,412 10 11 188,705 14 6 Balance, being 324 claims still under action .. .. £21,471 7 4 In addition to the sum of £29,412 10s. lid. admitted and credited to the German Clearing Office as shown above, Treaty interest amounting to £10,199 14s. has also been admitted. Since the last report liability in regard to claims amounting to £1,324 2s. Bd. exclusive of interest has been established by the German claimants or acknowledged by New Zealand debtors. The necessary credit schedules have been duly forwarded to the German Clearing Office in respect of these claims. In response to letters of contest lodged by this Office on behalf of the alleged New Zealand debtors the German Clearing Office has withdrawn claims amounting to £65,020 3s. Bd. during the period. In addition claims totalling £28 2s. lOd. have been retransferred to the Central Clearing Office as not applicable to New Zealand. The total amount of claims under this heading disposed of during the year is therefore £66,372 9s. 2d. (c.) Claims by New Zealand Nationals against Germany under Article 297 of the Treaty of Versailles. 13 claims forwarded to the Ger.tian Clearing Office through the Central £ s. d. £ g. d. Clearing Office .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 52,731 17 3 Claims acknowledged in part by the German Clearing Office or established before the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal and credited to the New Zealand Clearing Office .. .. .. .. 17,625 11 1 Compensation awarded by the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal either by consent of the parties or in course of formal judgment .. 2,189 16 4 Claims withdrawn in part on acceptance of German offers of compensation or in accordance with judgment of the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal .. .. .. .. .. .. 29,738 3 3 49,553 10 8 Balance, being six claims under action .. .. .. £3,178 6 7 The sum of £17,625 lis. Id. admitted by the German Clearing Office as shown above includes an admission of £16,209 13s. 7d. awarded by the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal in regard to a claim by two New Zealand beneficiaries in an estate in Germany which was sold by the German authorities during the war. Claims under this heading amounting to £641 2s. 9d. have been disposed of either by admission or by withdrawal during the year. As under the terms of the Treaty payment of compensation awarded against the German Government is postponed in favour of claims in respect of debts and proceeds of liquidations payment in full of compensation has not been made up to the present except in the case of awards of £50 and under. Claimants who have been awarded sums exceeding £50 receive that amount on account, and a dividend of 15s. in the pound on the balance of their awards, a further dividend of 7s. 6d. in the pound having been declared since the date of my previous report.