The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-09
WEST VIRGINIA CLAIM
TO Be INVESTIGATED
United States Supreme Court Refers
Papers to Special Master
Littleficld.
ALSO TO REPORT ON INTEREST
Decision Favors West Virginia as to
investigation of Offset Claims. and
Virginia as to Determination of
Amount OF Interest

The United States Supreme Court. in
decision rendered Yesterday, added
tanglc to the West Virginia debt
litigation BY referring the new claims
of West Virginia for "A share in V!r
Eini3's assets 10 master In chanccrv
for investigation and report. At the
same time. the court took the dc:crm-
nation of the amount Of interest owed
by West Virginia on her share OF tho
state debt In 1863 out OF tho hands
of tho two state commissions and re-
fcrrcd II also to the master for set
Element.
This decision. according to Attorney
General Pollard. means simply that
the Supreme Court deems West Vir-
Einias new claims worthy OF iuvcs.i-
cation. This IL IN a measure Il vic
tory for West Virginia. but the ref
crcncc of the interest question to tho
master is a distinct victor for Nir-
pinia in that II is a recognition OF tho
validity Of Nirginia's claim for In
tcrcst, claim which the West Nr-
Einia Debt Commission refused 10 al
low in it's conferences with tho Nir-
Einia commission.
Charles y. Littlcncld. OF New York,
who originally heard the evidence In
tho LITIGATION and established Yves;
Nirc!nias portion of the state debt
in 1863, was named yesterday IA tho
master to investigate the new evil
dcnce and determine the amount Of in
,crcst due. He is to report TO the
court at the fall term.
AMOUNT OF DEBT
FINED RT COURT
In 1911, after years of litigation. tho
Supreme Court rendered a decision
based on the masters report fixing
West NirEinia'S just and equitable por-
ton Of the Virginia public debt In 1863
1T S7.lS2,507.+6 or % per cent Of s30.-
time OF the division or Virginia. The
question of interes: OH this vas, sum.
amounting In the Intervening years TO
more than the principal. was left by
the court for adjudication by tho two
states concerned
Each State subsequently appointed
commission, but when the commits
aioncrs gathered In Washington In
July. 1913, it was found that two
cly-diVergcnt views were held on
the subject under conference. Nir
Einia asserted that the only question
submitted TO conference was that OF
the amount of interest due on the ST.
iS2.501.iG debt, while West Virginia re-
fused 10 debate this question at all,
and contendcd that the court had sub
mitted the entire question of principal
and interest TO conference.
The Two commissions failed entire
ly to accomplish results. and ncgotia-
lions were broken Off. Thereupon
Virginia applied to the Supreme Court
for final decree in the case. Before
this could be rendered. however. West
Virginia applied for the reopenlnE OF
the entire litigation de novo on the
claim OF aftcr-discovered evidence
This evidence. II was disclosed at the
hearing In March. 1914. consisted in
the claim advanced by West Virginia |
for a portion OF Virginia's assets as J
we'll as liabilities in 1868
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
CLAIMS OFFSET |
According to the figures submitted |
to the Supreme Court IN March by tho !
West Virginia commission, the liabili- /
ties Of the Commonwealth of Virginia |
IN 1858 amounted TO s3o,563. SGl.56. and !
tho assets To s2o.Sl0.357.9S. These as
sets, West Virginia claims took the |
shape OF stocks. bonds. securities and |
other property acquired out of tho |
common funds of tho old Common
wealth prior TO the dissolution Since |
the court fixed tho equitable proper
tons of the two States in the debt at
80 per cent for Virginia and 90 per
cent for West Virginia, then the same
ratio should obtain In the division Of
the common assets. claims West Vir
gnia
On this basis OF computation. West
NlrSinia's portion of the S20,SIO,357.aS
oil assets or the old Commonwealth
would amount to S4,S55.312IS. This,
asserts West Virginia, should be de.
Quoted from It's apportioncd share Of
me habilitics. s7.IS2.507iG. leaving an
excess of S2,327, 1888 of liabili,ior
over assets. This S2.3o7,195.2s. IL is
claimed. represents West Ylrginia.s
real debt to Virginia.
1t is this newly raised question OF n
division Of the old COMMUNICATIVE os-
sets which Will he determined by tho
master