8.-a

14

Work performed for Registrar-General. 40. A new departure in the work of the Office was undertaken last year when certain officers of the Department were appointed, by arrangement with the Registrar-General, to act as Registrars of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. Since the last report was furnished the system has been extended to include the District Public Trustee at Nelson. It is probable that a similar appointment will be made at Whangarei at an early date. EXPANSION OF ORGANIZATION. 41. The growing business of the Office has made it necessary to appoint repre sentatives in additional towns during the year. A permanent Branch Office, under the control of an officer of the Department, has been established at B lclutha. This officer also controls part-time offices at Milton, Kaitangata, and Owaka. A part-time office has been established at Frasertown under the control of the District Manager, Wairoa. New Agencies of the Office. 42. Agencies of the Office, under the charge of non-permanent Agents paid by commission, have been opened at Helensville, Mataura, Patea, Pukekohe, Ranfurly, and Roxburgh. 43. The expansion of the organization not only brings the Office in closer touch with possible clients, but also ensures that a representative of the Public Trustee will be located within reasonable proximity of any asset which comes under administration. The Public Trustee is now represented in a hundred towns throughout the Dominion. The Dominion-wide organization which is being built up will ensure effective service being rendered to all persons who entrust their affairs to the control of the Public Trustee. INSTRUCTIONS TO AGENTS. 44. A comprehensive set of instructions has been prepared and issued for the guidance of Agents of the Public Trustee. Besides containing full information as to the conduct of the work of the Office by Agents, the booklet contains an outline of the functions, powers, and duties of the Public Trustee generally. In view of the increasing number of agencies of the Office the provision of the booklet of instructions has proved most useful. INDEXING OF CLOSED FILES. 45. During the fifty years of the history of the Public Trust Office a large number of estates have been administered. The files and papers relating to such estates are stored in the basement of the Head Office building. Some time ago a commencement was made with the work of compiling a complete index of the files. This task has now been completed, and the extent of the work performed can be gauged by the fact that more than twenty thousand files have been dealt with. The results have more than justified the time spent on the work. The Office now possesses a complete record of all files which have been dealt with since the inception of the Office, and whenever reference is required to the old records the relative papers can be found promptly and without difficulty. CONTROL AND DISPOSAL OF ENEMY PROPERTY. 46. The special duties of the Public Trustee as Custodian of Enemy Property and Controller of the New Zealand Clearing Office have formed the subject of two parliamentary reports (H.-25, 1921 and 1922).