WAR COSTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1925, Page 4

WAR COSTS.

NEW ZEALAND'S LIST. WELLINGTON. Apt. 8. Nov: Zealand's war expenditure account will lie formally closed 'by legislation this 'Cisicn. and any clear-ing-up will lie done' by the Treasury. The expenditure totalled £i d.li. > .Oof), and last, year important- negotiations

occnrtc'd in connection with a claim by the Imperial Shipping Liquidation against New Zealand ol £ I ,88'J.0110. This has been reduced by the large tol'il if 1.T'J1.(>75. as New Zealand <■

tnklishod contra claims of over half a million for carriage of Imperial troips. Finally the hig bill was sdtlcd bv the payment of £ 1 Vt>.s7.">. Apart from these ligures. claims totalling iipproximately £011.111)0 were lodged by ship-owners lor diversion of ships for t ra useort purtiosos, of which only £bKt;f) inis to date been admitted. U ill] tocl'v pt Os pci d of coin 11 let ;* rejection of the m ■ 11 , a i mlcr. Incliidcd ill i lie amount ad in iti "d i - the c: i - ■ of one ship which luc, recently l.cci the -ahjci of legal prm dings aga|n-i the Cl'.iVll 111 the l lilted Kingdilll. I lie amount of ilaim being £2n.7()'.1. The claim was eoiitesled by the Itnp- rial ‘'hipping l.lipiiil.'.! ion D u tirtle.oit's legal advisers on the lines of line defence constructed bv the Dominion'.' transport accounting officers, and mlvicc luc- ceme in band ifi.it the Shipping l.ii|iiidation Department lias ilfectcd a sculcinent with the shipowners involving payment of C loti!) by New Zealand. With the exception of reparation claims, the only other accounting matter still outstanding is a claim against Australia, totalling £103.8-13 for ammunition taken over from the .Xew Zealand Kxpedit ientir.v Force in F.g.vpt ! in liflo against wliich contra claims

owing i.v Xew Zealand. £31.738 have been with-held, leaving a net balance due to Xew Zealand ofv £72.110. I Tim Defence report suggests ihat this shows the eminently satisfactory results that have been obtained in redlining war expenditure. Savings in many other directions were also effected. one notable instance being rebates totalling £87.00(1 from the Imperial Comptroller of Customs for duty on foodstuffs shipped from Xew Zealand ami purchased in England for consumption by Xew Zealand troops in the I’nited Kingdom.