The Star THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1923. PUBLIC TRUST" OFFICE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 9 August 1923, Page 4

The Star

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1923. PUBLIC TRUST" OFFICE.

Delivered every evening by 5 o'cloc* In Hawera Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Maiigatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremero, Fraaer Road, and Ararat*.

—, » — The Public Trust Office was established in 1872, about ten years before Mr. Seddon entered politics. The early clays of the office were not noted for ; great development in business, but Mr. Seddon enlarged its scope and by various improvements sinoe his day the office has become a very popular institution, and, as the extracts from the annual report which were published in yesterday's Star show, the volume of business is still growing. We do not think that any of the Departments has more responsible duties to the people than the Public Trust Office, and it is natural that the institution has striven to build up a great reputation for reliability and integrity. That it has been successful is indicated by the increase in business which it is handling. Under the heading of reduction in expenditure it is stated that during the year ended March 31, 1923, "continued attention., has been given'to further reductions "in expenditure where possible, with the result that additional savings totalling £10,367 per annum have been introduced." The following figures indicate the expenditure each year from 1920-21 to 1922-23: — Expended 1920-21. £226,103- 1921-<>'> £202,199; 1922-23, £179,285/ In conclusion the Public Trustee (Mr J W Macdonald) says:-"The organisation is complete and effective in every way, and many of those persons who do business with the office are the first to acknowledge the care and interest which all members of the staff display m their affairs. ~The office can lookforward with confidence to a constantly increasing support from the public *•" Turning to the District Public Iru stees i eports we are interested to find that the business don© by the Hawera office and the Stratford branch has shown a satisfactory increase, and the comment of the Trustee is- "No doubt the scheme of advertising in the ioca.l newspapers during the last nine months has helped to bring the aims and objects of the office more prominently before the public. The increase has every indication of being sustained during the coming year. A satisfactory feature in regard to new business is the number of partially administered estates taken over from former executors and trustees. Nine new estates were obtained in this manner " The improving financial conditions in the district are shown in the following remarks: "There is now little difficult m collecting rent and interest. in vary few cases the rents have been ednced; and beneficiaries have beeu reasonable where reductions did take Pjare. Dairy companies have been able to pay out regularly. The good season in Smith Taranaki has undoubtedly had a good effect in enabling lessees and mortgagors to pay their r^t and interest." Sixteen applicafor loans were granted totalling CSS.IoO. The district Public Trustee wnrindes: "With the present amount •>wmg on most farms difficulty is ex•>?rienoed by mortgagors in arranging inanee to enable them td accept the unmmfc which the office could at present lend. However, as stability in and values is/reached and money becomes more plentiful ihr maiain of s<:-

curity required on first-class lands may not be as large as is required at present." The report on the working of the Public Trust Office and the year's results along with'the district Public Trustees' reports make very interesting reading, and the reader is well satisfied that this branch of the State service is doing excellent work and meeting the requirements of the people. The Department is well managed, and efficiency and integrity are its watchwords. Some of the less efficient Departments woxild undoubtedly be improved if they followed the businesslike methods which have been brought to such a high standard in the Public Trust Office during its fifty-one years' operations.