The San Francisco call., 1904-09-15
Treasury Has
a Tight Grip
on DdSt Sum
Special Corresponding.

n.
who believe themselves entitled to for
tunes in this country will be interest
ed to hear that according to returns
made during the Parliamentary ses-
sion Just closed there is now over So2l'-
OOO. 900 in the hands of the British Gov
ernment, awaiting lawful claimants
There is small likelihood, however,
that any considerable portion of it Will
ever find its way into the pockets Oh
the latter. This vast sum is retained
by the crown officials because those 10
whom it belongs have not succeeded
In proving their claims to IT TO the
laws satisfaction, or, ignorant OF
what is due them, have not put In any
claims for it. To get the Government
to give up money 1t has once got
tight grip on is a very difficult ana
costly matter. For a poor claimant
without the means of defraying the le-
gal expenses the chances of obtaining
restitution are we'll nigh hopeless II
is, perhaps, therefore, just as well Tor
their peace of mind that hundreds OF
poor people scattered over the world
have no knowledge that I'm the British
treasury are large fortunes to which
prove it. If they knew it and under
took to prove it in the great majority
of cases it would simply result in the
lawyers getting what little money they
have Meanwhile the Government does
not advertise for claimants to any por-
ton of the colossal hoard in it's treas
ury.
MILLIONS TIED UP.
In the great morgue OF litigation and
expectations ns''-chancery-funds and
estates aggregating in value $27S,612,3O5
are now tied up. But as a fund is not
considered unclaimed until 1t has been
in court undealt with for fifteen years,
il is impossible to estimate the propor-
tion of this colossal sum which belongs
to missing owners. 1t is certain, though
that most of them will never get
penny of it. Funds in chancery in
Ireland amount to s24, ,392, sos. of which
the same statement is equally true.
All Government stock and dividends
unclaimed for ten years is transferred
to the National Debt Commissioners.
On March 81 last the balance on this
account amounted to $5,7S5,5S5, which
does not include sums previously ap-
propriated by the Government. In 1868,
for instance, Mr.. Gladstone Cancelled
$4,000, 900 of unclaimed stock. 1t is
amazing how remiss people are in
claiming dividends. cOnsols and other
Government investments. On April 3
last the dividends due and not de-
manded" amounted to nearly $600,000.
The consolidated fund holds nearly
$z0O, 900. representing interest on South
Sea stock paid to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer between 1S45 and 1852, which
has never been claimed.
People who die intestate bring con-
siderable money to the crown, as we'll
as profit to the lawyers. On December
81 last there remained in the hands
of the Treasury s652, ,4S5 from intestates'
estates, of which the crowns share
amounted to over $4,000.
TAKEN BY THE CROWN.
Some people are still seeking to get
a share of the property left by Mrs.
Helen Blake, who died intestate in 1878.
IL: addition to considerable real estate
she left personally of the value of
S720 900. For the benefit of such claim
ants it should be stated that they have
not the ghost of a chance of getting
anything. for by an order of the court,
dated 1888, the crown was declared en-
titled to the estates and appropriated
them.
In Scotland intestates' estates await
ing claimants amount to over $1T5,O0O,
of which the crown has a grip on $15,-
O00
Unclaimed dividends on banHrupts'
estates amount to s5,7S5,O00, and such
assurance is felt that claims to the
bulk of it will never be advanced and
substantiated that much of the money
has been appropriated to pay for the
erection of the bankruptcy offices.
Army prize money still undivided
amounted on March 81, 1903. to $685..
96C, and that the great bulk of it will
be retained by the Treasury may be
inferred from the fact that during the
year preceding this date only 1865 was
paid to soldiers or their representatives
out of this sum. Since 1884 the un-
claimed effects of soldiers who have
died while serving their country have
reached the large total of $6e2. 900. Ma
val prize money undistributed because
unclaimed foots up s1.350,0OO.
1t has been suggested that an annual
return should be issued giving full par
ticulars of all unclaimed sums of ESQ
pounds and upward in the various Gov
ernment departments If this were
done and advertised there is little
doubt that much OF the money would
be promptly claimed. But the British
Government is hardly likely to take
any action that will deprive 1t OF such
a considerable source Of revenue.