The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1912. THE PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 12, 6 September 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1912. THE PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE.

The annual report of the Public Trust Office, just presented to Parliament, shows that the business of the office has nearly doubled in the last five 5 ears. The net profits for 1912 were

£25,919 —more than double those of any previous year. Estates administered in 1912 were 6694 : their value was £9,493,959: the number of wills deposited was 1024, and the capital funds £5,070,305. During the year ended March 31st, 1912, the capital moneys in the office increased by £800,651, making a total of £4,928,873. • The accrued profits at that date were £151,108, out of which £66,813 have been expended in office premises and furniture. The Public Trustee suggests that transfers from the land settlement association to the members should be exempted from stamp duty, and that the mortgages from members to the association should be exempt from mortgage tax. These concessions, lie adds, would strengthen the finance, which is weak at best. A reference is also made to the West Coast settlement reserves, the Trustee expressing the opinion that it would bo an excellent thing if a scheme were devised under which these areas could be taken up by the natives in small associations under management or control of some kind, and with funds advanced by the Public Trustee for the working and stocking. In this way the lands would be brought into profitable use, and the natives would be trained in dairying and farming. Regret is also expressed that the relations between the legal profession and the office are not free from friction, but the Trustee continues:—“l am most anxious to work amicably with the profession. The operations of the office undoubtedly press them hard, and this process must go on, but no unfair or illegitimate attempts are made to take work from them; quite the contrary. In one case, indeed—that of loans—the office treats the profession more liberally than does any other lending institution in New Zealand. Other things being equal, a solicitor who introduces a loan is instructed to act for the office in preparing the security’. The fees so received amount to thousands of pounds in the year.” In explanation of delays caused by the great accumulation of work at head office it is suggested that a change is absolutely necessary to prevent the present system breaking down and that a simple and effective remedy would be found by appointing local deputy 'Public Trustees in the chief centres—

say, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin—to exercise such of the functions of the Public Trustee as are delegated to them by him ; but nobody being concerned to inquire as to whether acts performed by them are within their authority. To accomplish this,

a slight amendment of the Act would he necessary. CHINA’S 1 FORWARD MARCH. A rearrangement of British steamship services in Aar Eastern waters consequent upon a consolidation of Britain’s maritime interests there, has lately been effected and apart from tins, it is stated, further important developments affecting the future of the Chinese mercantile marine arc now in progress. Some of the existing companies, notably the North Gorman Lloyd, are beginning to feel the effect of this increased activity, and, it report is to be credited, tire Japanese concerns are to experience its inll force. In this connection Dr. Sun Yat Sen lias set himself the task of commercial reform, and that steamship lines and railways connecting the interior provinces of China with the coast ports will be the first consideration. Moreover, large numbers of

motor-boats are to be employed to open 1 up trade on the different waterways. Indeed, many vessels of the type are j already in commission. According to ■ Dr. Sun Yat Sen, there is ample! Chinese capital available to start the i needed enterprises, but foreign financial j assistance will ,be wanted as the , movement expands, and this, he says, i will be readily obtained through the , liberal terms which will be extended to all who seek investment. As a j matter of fact, it is said that the , - Chinese in the United States, Mexico, , I and South America have already sub- 1 ' scribed half of the capital of two mil-1 lions sterling for the organisation cf regular sailings between. Seattle, San ? Francisco, and Hong Kong in competition with the Japanese, so that it ap-| II pears that there is to be another | racial struggle on the North Pacific, j Further, Japan has had for years its ! direct line of steamers to London under the national flag, and China is believed to be anxious to follow the example.

PURGING THE ROLLS.

In his report on the electoral census of 1911, the Chief Electoral Officer states that his department has always , been faced with the difficulty of keeping i the rolls in a reasonably clean cond.- ; tion, as overloaded rolls are a standing invitation to irregularities in connection with elections, and a menace to clean an dproper polling. “It was in the interests, therefore, of a good I, election conducted with clean rolls - that the electoral census of 1911 was 5 carried out, and, although its general results were most satisfactoiy, and, r to my mind, fully justified the expenditure, much greater benefit might have been obtained had the fullest advantage been taken of the infoi matron obtained for the'purposes of roll-purg-ing, as originally proposed by the department. i: At a later date 1 intend to submit proposals for the complation and purging of the rolls by means of an enumeration carried out largely • with the assistance and co-operation oi the Police and Postal Departments at a comparatively small cost to the coun'i try. In Australia, registrars avail themselves largely of the assistance of - the police in conhection with the compilation and purging of the rolls.”