The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-21
UNCLAIMED MONEY.
There Is a Vast Amount of Unowned
Wealth.

| Wealth.
| There is vast amount of buried wealth
in the world besides that which the ocean
covers and the virgin ore awaiting the
miners call, but few people know the
| locale of these hidden moneys. In the
| following jottings we have endeavored to
indicate the chief sources from which un-
claimed moneys arise and how they are
dealt with:
Funds in Chancery England 1.-The exact
amount of the unclaimed funds belonging
to suitors or their representatives, undeaIt
with for fifteen years or upward, is Ed, 327,-
! 1913. Prior to 1869 such money was invested
in Government securities, but in 1870 the
funds were used toward the reduction of
| the national debt, the consolidation fund
being thenceforward liable in respect of all
successful claims to such funds. On the
18th of February, 1898, >the total funds in
the Supreme Court of Judicature were
t65, 4S1 1865, but the proportion unclaimed
is not stated. 1t is remarkable fact that
part of the surplus interest of these funds
representing over Fl 900, 000-was applied
toward the erection of Royal Courts of JUS
tice. Moreover, in 1881, Mr.. Gladstone's
Government borrowed no less than 10000
purposes.
Funds in Chancery Qreland 1T is pro-
posed to build a new law library in Dublin,
at a cost of some Els, 900, out of the I'M
claimed suitors' funds. Many years ago a
similar appropriation of nearly f250O0 was
made toward building the Courts of Law in
Dublin. The consolidated fund is liable to
make good this deficit.
Unclaimed Dividends on Government
Stocks-All dividends and stock unclaimed
Tor ten years are transferred to the Ma
tlonal Debt Commissioners till claimants
appear. In 1866 no less than 93000,000 of
the unclaimed stock was Cancelled, and the
consolidated fund made liable in respect of
successful claims to such money. In 1890
the balance of stock remaining unclaimed
was 1858, 132, and the unclaimed dividends
amounted to Ell 1897, 969. 1t may be men
toned that the exchequer some years since
| realized windfall of 9150, oil, representing
fractions of pence saved in the payment of
dividends. This is one more proof of the
| old saying, "Many a mickle makes
muckle."
Estates REWRITING to the Crown-In 1884
the statute of limitations was applied to
the recovery Of estates falling to the crown
by reason of persons dying intestate with
out known heirs. Funds which had been
accommodating for centuries werethus swept
! into the Golfers of the State. The total
amount received by the Crowns Nomi-
nee from 1S76-the date of the passing of
| the interstate estates act to 1893, reached
| FL, 706963 A large portion, however, was
| claimed by the rightful heirs, and, after
| payment of the crowns share, for her
Majesty S use, the balance in hand in 1898
was EGG, 147.
| Bankrupt Estates-The new bankruptcy
offices have been erected out of part of the
unclaimed funds in bankruptcy The total
liability OF the exchequer in respect of I'M
rl,t
| in England and Ireland is FL 136, 055.
| Scottish Estates-The Registrars office
Edinburgh, was built out of funds arts
ing from forfeited estates"
Soldiers Money-No less than Ella ITO,
representing the amount of the effects of
deceased soldiers, has accumulated during
the past twenty years. This amount has
been handed over to the Patriotic Fund
Commissioners for distribution, owing to
| the rightful heirs falling to claim.
Army and Navy Prize Money-Upward
of 100000 of the unclaimed army prize
money has been used for keeping up Chel-
sea Hospital and grounds, etc. The bal
tive in 1898 was f1O2,0S9. Curiously
enough, only f14 was paid to claimants
during the year, while the expenses of the
prize department were about f400. I'm
claimed naval prize money is transferred
to the consolidated fund. Considerably
| OFcI 6IOU,OOO - Oue u SAILORS OF IHelr
| kindred.
The foregoing extracts show parts of the
large amount of money lying unclaimed in
the United Kingdom. 1t is officially stated
| that liabilities of the consolidated fund are
considered to be remote and the state not
| likely to be called upon to any material ex-
tent to discharge. But, on the other hand,
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his
budget speech of 1891, stated that in that
year "he had been called upon quite unex-
pectedly to provide 100000 in respect of
| unclaimed funds in chancery. 1t was
| supposed that large sum owing to suitors
would never be claimed, and it was writ
ten off.
Experience has proved that an increased
spirit of research, assisted by those means
of increased publicity which the day de-
mands and receives, had enabled many
suitors who it was believed would never
| claim to make their claim"
Discussions in Parliament, the press and
elsewhere show the urgent need of greater
publicity as to allEunclaimed funds. Lists
| of some unclaimed moneys are still only
published in the London Gazette, while
many others are not published at all
Until. these lists are published in newspa-
pers likely to be seen by the persons inter
ested the amount of money must go on
| Observation-Disclosures Journal.
Horses Fed on Potatoes.
! In the first issue of the Planter we gave
! rho eynerience of w q Hinson of Tapoas