THE PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8478, 9 May 1893, Page 2

THE PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE.

10 THE EDITOR OK THE PRESS. Sib,—Let mc enter my protest against tho incessant puffing of the above office by the Press Association, which is constantly telegraphing the amount of business done by this trading department of the Government, to say nothing of the wonderful performances of the Public Trustee in particular transactions. It is surely a very undignified proceeding on the part of any Government to advertise its wares like a pushing shop, keeper. With the true advertising spirit, Sir, the thing is often pub in Buoh a way ac to mislead the unthinking. For instance, at the end of every month we are informed of the number of estates which have been " placed" under the charge of the Public Trustee. The fact is, the majority of these estates consist of the property of persons who nave died without leaving any relatives in the colony, and whose effects are taken charge of by the police. In other colonies, as was formerly the case in. New Zealand, such estates are administered by the officer etyled the Curator of Intestate Estates, and the sooner we revert to this system the better. What, in the name of common sense, have the Government to do with the people's family affairs ? Is it not a foolish thing for any man to leave his property to be managed by a Government official in Wellington, who knows nothing whatever about hie wife and children, and cannot be expected to feel any interest in their welfare? The official's interest is to satisfy the Government which he serves, and to make as much money for it oat of the estate as he can. Looking at the matter from a public point of view, is it not an unfortunate thing, and detrimental tii the liberties of the subject, that particulars of people's most intimate private affairs should be recorded in Government archives, and thus made available for any unscrupulous Ministry which may want to use them ? . I hope that the Public Trust Office will soon be either abolished altogether, or else reduced to its proper functions, by which I mean that it should be excluded from transacting private business; but, pending this desirable consummation, it would be a decided public benefit if the newspapers would refuse to permit their news columns to be utilised for the purpose of advertising the office.—Yours, «so.. Individualist. c