H.—25

En addition to the sum of £22,201 4s. Id. admitted and credited by the German Clearing Office as shown above, interest thereon amounted to £6,645 lis. 2d. has also been credited by that Office. The amount admitted, less a deduction of 2J per cent., being Clearing Office commission thereon, has been paid by this Office to the New Zealand claimants. Since the last report claims totalling £7 6s. 5d., together with Treaty interest thereon amounting to £4 4s. 9d., have been admitted by the German Clearing Office, and claims totalling £3,866 7s. 3d. have been withdrawn by the New Zealand Clearing Office. The total amount of claims disposed of during the year including claims rejected and deemed to be withdrawn is £7,212 3s. 9d. Of the four outstanding claims, totalling £819 15s. 7d., two have been rejected by the German Clearing Office but have been referred by the claimants to the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal or adjudication. (b.) Claims by German Nationals against New Zealand Nationals under Article 296 of the Treaty of Versailles. 1,476 claims received from the German Clearing Office through the , £ s . <1. Central Clearing Office .. .. .. .. .. .. 211,151 12 10 Claims retransferred to the Central Clearing Office as not applicable to £ s. d. New Zealand . . .. .. .. .. .. 1,164 5 2 Claims withdrawn in whole or in part by the German Clearing Office in response to letters of contest forwarded by this Office on behalf of the alleged New Zealand debtors .. .. .. 167,005 7 1 Claims admitted in whole or in part by New Zealand firms and credited to the German Clearing Office .. .. .. .. 30,540 15 11 Claims rejected under agreement with German Clearing Office, and deemed to be withdrawn .. .. .. .. .. 5,946 J 7 204,656 9 9 Balance, being 43 claims still unsettled .. .. . . £6,495 3 1 In addition to the sum of £30,540 15s. lid. admitted and credited to the German Clearing Office as shown above, Treaty interest amounting to £10,694 13s. lid. has also been admitted. Since the last report liability in regard to claims amounting to £186 19s. 10d., 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letters of contest lodged by this Office on behalf of the alleged New Zealand debtors, the German Clearing Office has withdrawn claims amounting to £4,310 Is. sd. during the period. Claims totalling £5,946 Is. 7d. have become ineffective as a result of rejection by the New Zealand Clearing Office, and the total amount of claims under these headings finally disposed of during the year is therefore £10,443 2s. lOd. Of the forty-three unsettled claims totalling £6,495 3s. Id., thirteen claims totalling £3,647 4s. Bd. have been notified as rejected, and there are therefore thirty claims totalling £2,847 18s. sd. still under active consideration by this Office. (c.) Claims by New Zealand Nationals against Germany under Article 297 of the Treaty of Versailles. Thirteen claims forwarded to the German Clearing Office through the £ s. d. Central 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 £ s. d. credited to the New Zealand Clearing Office .. .. .. 18,793 6 1 Compensation awarded by the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal either by consent of the parties or in course of formal judgment . . 2,319 19 5 Claims withdrawn in part on acceptance of German offers of compensation or in accordance with judgment of the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal 31,618 11 9 52,731 17 3 As will be seen from the above table, all claims under this heading have been disposed of.

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