PUBLIC TRUST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 742, 15 February 1910, Page 6

PUBLIC TRUST.

■ PRESENTATION .TO iMR.: J.' W. . .' POYNTON. • : A REDUCTION OF CHARGES. , : A; presentation. wa's"made->yesterda'y ; ,-by the/Prime Minister, .Sir ; Jo'sopk/Ward, on' liehili" of, tlie. of'Hhe..pbblio.-T'rnst . Office throughout' New; Zealand, to Mr. J. : W.Poyntonj who,,after .holding'tKe posi- 1 tioiij of .■Public," Trustee; .for , the past ten years, has .been. appointed; superintendent , of* the. State. Guaranteed.'Advance's Depart- ■ meilt aid; Secretary to'.'the- Treasury." This'' ; premutation ..toot the'^-for&.-ofi-a silver salver;suitably 'insbriieai>v3ffn : *i;'--'Ai-'K; Duncan, Deputy Public; Trustee, presided ■ in'.'the .unavoidable. abserice - in Auckland of tho"new.Public Trustee,- Dr. ,/Fitchett. ,' Mr; Duncan said they were not 'holding a: tangi • over th'eiis departed, chief;, who. was, going; not .into the..land of departed spirits,, but' into a real live/and-tangiblo' occupation., :If;;,Mr. Poyhton" iqiagined'he washing to live a' less strenuous life,; the Government had disillusioned; him on-that point.. / The Public. Trustee': Office in' the past had proved a stepping-stone, to higher careers. / Mr.:. J:■ K; AVarjjurton, a.former Public -Trustee!,/ had been, appointed to fill the, exalted . position 'of Controller'and Auditor-General, Mr.'; Martin, - another Public Trustee,/ had been- selected • for. a judgeship of the Supreme.' Courts and 'how came Mr. P&yntoh's proinotioh.' Mr. Duncan asked-Sir Joseph' Ward-to express' the feelings of the/staff, at ,its.severance, from' their ■ esteemed / chief—feelings which hehimself,,, could not "find • words adequately to express.' '/. y./ ,-j-"''7;..;.; , Prime-Minister's Remarks. ; ■ Sir Joseph Ward,, who vt'as very warmly received;:, said that 'in':- Mr.' Pdyii'ton they,/had. ; the /.embodiment,- of oil' that .was essential; in /the..Civil ''Service.: Althou'gh!:a. Department, of State; tho-Pub- : lie: -Trust-.Office- ivas',.free,/from''political' corittol.lts) duties werp', to its clients and beueliciarics'.only.',..The only 'concern, that the. Government had was to see that it .was -.p.rope'rly administered;,;for,- as the 1 State/guaranteed. tho-transactions of - the office,; and.-.VHiis • ultimately; accountable : for any losses,' which would' have to be' borne' by tho'Corisolidatcd-'l ; un'd,- ; it:had .a grave responsibility in the 'selection of■ the officers: to ; administrate the', funds', and deal '.with ..estates. -.During', the.,- ten' years . of Mr. .Poynton's regime ,the office had .progressed. in''a" .'degree exceeding' all:,ariticipations'.' The - capitals of., the'' office 'had doubled, and/-,the. number of , aclmiiiistra--tiojis' had ; trebled. There > were: .now: 5000 estates- under active, administration; and' the;qualities" of. administration that were required' to.,;cope>'witlr that -huge;.business' must; necessarily- be ; exceptional: " He -desired, to pay'a tributc.to-.thc • excellent , "organisation ,whichv had/;made '-'possible' this'; 'successful - undertakings , Worthyof remark-was the' economy;.:of.- administra--tion, .by which' properties' itpt.the: talue • of - nearly., i 67,000,000,' weredealt; with bya' Public Trustee and; DeputrPublic Trustee,/"/who':, were -.salaried - officers,,.-.plus, "an. unpaid board, comprised'.,of,'high officers. , of/the' ;Civil - Service.; / The ".beneficiaries reaped , the benefit. ' No -commercial ;or. trading .. concern ■/ could',"boast ;■ • of ■ : so ' eco-i nomical a./management;: . The,-office, was, designed, to be' merely-, self-Supporting, and four yeaxs' ago it;had. been' alue.ito/rcduce: its charges. ...' • ;//i,-,' Reduction of Charges. < /He - was : ple"ased.i to ( announce -; that .Nas from,'-April 1 '-next/a/furtHer reduction in' the; scale: of: • charges 'would - take, •; effect," which'rwduld be gazettedf.aVoh 'early k ;date. The new .on all'i^h;ahd : realisations!up;to,-'jEIO,OOO, in value; 'and 1J per - ccnt. oil' sums' above .that -value.' A; supreme,'-mahiffestatioa; of public/confidence, in/ the./offiai/was/shown' by - the fact; .that' during/Mr.; Poynton's ten■ years/te^m'of : offi6e ! no; less' than 4566 wills alone had found, their.-way' into' theoffice, safe,' and .the numerical" strength of ! the staff. had';' had: to he' increased .by 62 new/officers.The. present'rate of deposit of/wills of living- persons was' 'at'the. rate of ;■ nearly'looo a-year.' l The. : mind icould scarcely grasp; what - an; enormous Department' the Public, Trust Office had become and would; become. . The}wort was. coming too soon had the s Department "got ; into its pre:,; sent; handsome,; suitable, and commodious premises.///'v,///^^ Rapid Growth Expected, ' Though the recent increase: of business; had been, enormous'/that ./business; would be .doubled'ia;f6ur, years, 'at;',the'present rate; .In 15-yeaTs it would assuredly ,re' : quire', the"; whole ' five,, floors';, of ', .the" ; new. Public ,Trust building tb' transact/it! .He congratulated; Mr. Poynton • on" his'-'promo-•tion; His'vqualifications'Vwould - ; make; for) success; in tho /newly-created '..Guaranteed Advances Department.? /He congratulated • him also on retainingthe : confidence'/ 'of. tKe.: public as Public : Trustee, ...and/ asked him .to''accept/the/; presentation' in.', the spirit of goodwill,' l admiration,.and sincere; regard by which ,it was - accompanied; from all. his officers in New-Zealand. .. . , '; Mr. T. ■: S.. Eonald?ori, ;• inspector,:. on- hehalf of. the/ outside staff, :congra.tulate'd Mr. : - Poynton ■ on; ! , hishigh,;, promotion," and expressed/'the/staff's Tegret 'at losing him.;' : .-' ':■/ ' llr. J.'W. -MTJonald,'.office solicitor, added his tribute... .-../.vr, ■ :V Mr. Poynton:' Im l Reply; . '; Mr;; Poyh'ton,;' who/; on -risiiig'. to * was;', received. with l! loud' applause; • em-' phasised ; the;*, complete" .freedom,, of-; the office, from'political interference; Though th'e.j office.'/was quite,. properly^'.under' the. control'of .the Minister . for'.FinariM', - who could order the production ,of any file, in; tho ten years of nis only on'o Minister had been; within; the walls,/ and that: was' when ;• they "had?run,' after -him to. bring hiin' to', a- board; meeting. ■ 'The public"' could havei/eVerj\confidence' in. the'/ Department' Being, quite -free'/ from/ any interference by Ministers /or members; of The/private .affairs- with which' it.'/jlealt iwere-.sacred,and,/they, could repose 'the' fullest, confidence in'/the-' secrecy; of - the', office; The'"'.D'epartmeht' had/grown/: greatly, In*i ten; years,'/but it would, halve gromi no' matter/ who was' at the head of-it.. 'People'were; now. getting more, .confidence . in'" s the ,/office, as was shown'by ,the.,Yei7 : large''estoteß''.that came intd .it. ."At , one. time/the' average, value: . of;.the/estates,'.was /.very/, now. very' largo' estates', were received; / He. believed: that' ia'.fifty;' yeais..half 'the ad; ministrations/ of'' this .' country . .would 'be; performedby ; .the Department. It had so,/.many • advanteges / that /it, only required to' bo .known in order to /be .used by,'.those/ who. /wished:'.to./leave the',ad-. ministration ; of- their/ affairs after • they passed away to those who would takeevery., care-of the interests: of those left behind. :' His .staff had been-most pleasant. The 'staff'and agents were a. splendid body/of men,.equal..to those of '.any any. public service.; He ,thanl;ed/the -staff for their gif t,'- 1 ahd' Sir' Joseph ' AVard for presenting, it.. The'presentation wo'uld -be .al-' ways/ cherised ;by;. him' as a, memento of the . pleasant , relations', that, had/existed . between'them.'' /- , '//; /, ~,,, ■

Sir Joseph .Ward'then ! 'called for cheers for Mr. Poyntoh; Mrs./Poyntoh; and "the little Poynton," which-were given' hear^" tily. ■ -.:/'•■ '/;, / ■/!,..'