THE PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE.

Evening Star, Issue 8506, 4 May 1891, Page 4

THE PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE.

SENSATIONAL DISCLOSURES.

The Public Trust Commissioners reported that having been at work for six weeks, and having taken a great deal of evidence, they had come to the conclusion that it was thejlr duty to themselves, to the Government, and to the people of the colony to submit to Ministers the full particulars of the evidence so far as they had gone. They intend, they add, to pursue the inquiry until they are in a position to send a full report to His Excellency the Governor. With this document they have forwarded a packet of printed evidence, covering one hundred and sixty-four pages. THE MOST SENSATIONAL PORTION of this evidence relates to the proceedings in the ease of tho personal property of intestate estates. It appears that officers are in the habit of attending auctions and buying jewellery, watches, chains, rings, binoculars, articles of "bigotry and virtue." From the head of the office downwards men have in their possession various articles thns purchased ; ond there are cases of purchases for their friends outside. The most remarkable part of the story is that there are no inventories kept of tfcepe things. The lists, when they are nif.de up, consist largely of "etceteras,-" "watch and obain," etc. Receipts are no* given in detail of property received, and the only bases for making out the accounts on winding up are the auctioneers' account salaa for lots, There is apparently no check of any kind. The articles are displayed on a table before being sent to auction. The officers may appraise th.o.m and take advantage of the prices going at suction. Those examined do not appear to have aiiy id.ea that there was anything improper in the "p;patjce. There is A SfORV Of A PIECE OF LACE belonging to an estate which disappeared mysteriously, was out of the office many months without being missed, and only turned up on inquiry made by the Commissioners, who found mention of it in a letter. An officer admitted that he had taken it home to get it valued, but had forgotten to bring it back. A bracelet from the effects in the same estate is missing. _ It was the estate of a woman whose son olaimed as next of kin. He wished to have the jeweliery kept, for he wanted the articles aB mementoes. There was no particular reason to sell, as there was money at credit. In the correspondence it appears that the law as to illegitimate children claiming, which is very clear and precise, v/as not understood in the office. Some of the officers wpre buyers of the articles at auotiou. This practice of buying at auctions has lasted for years, in' some cases officers attend and bid openly ; in others they leave instructions with the auctioneer's clerk; in others they do business through £ friend, No such practices have taken place in THE CASE-OF REAL PROPERET.

On one occasion, it is in evidence, an agent who was entrusted with the Bale of a piece of land came into the office with a transfer to himself, and was properly brought to book and made to return the property. The management of business is discovered to be dilatory. There is a case of a life policy which was paid, though the policy had been burnt, on condition that the money remained in the Trustee's offioe for six years at 4 per cent. { but it was two years before the people entitled to the money were notified. ■iHE gYSTEM OF BOOKKEEPING ig cumbrous and inefficient. There are about eight books of different Biges._ The great majority of them are admitted in evidence to be useless. Some of them, the bead of the department admits, he never even heard of. Between subsidiary ledger, imprest cash hooks, rough cash book and a mass of others, there is ponfusion; and the bookkeeping is said to be slovenly and incomplete. It is said to be a case of much labor and little result. These are a few instances, I am informed on good authority, of the kind of thing which induced the Commissioners to send the evidenoe to the .government. It is Baid that the feeling is strong in their rninds that the work of the offioe has altogether outgrown the organisation and capacity pf jbhe department. —■ •LytfceltonTimes' correspondent. WgLLINGTOU, M*V *.

It is considered that the evidenoe taken by the Public Trust Commissioners shows that the accounts have not been properly audited, and the Commissioners intend to summon the audit officers to give evidence.