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other person) to control such part of the estate as the Court directs. In practice the Public Trustee is appointed in most of these cases, and where he is not appointed it is his duty to have the accounts of the manager examined and reported upon to the Court. The Act provides an alternative means to the Mental Defectives Act for the administration of the property of persons whose conditio!] is such that they do not require institutional care, but are unable to protect and manage their assets. In cases arising under either of the Acts mentioned an advisory trustee may be appointed to act with the Public Trustee. When this is done the advice of the advisory trustee, who usually has a personal knowledge of the affairs of the protected person, is availed of and appreciated. Agencies.—An important part of the work of the Office is the administration of the agencies of clients who, for various reasons, wish to avail themselves of the office facilities. Sometimes this is because they are proceeding abroad, or the assets to be administered are in another district; or they wish to be relieved of business cares; or because of ill health. Much goodwill is cultivated by this means. Workers' Compensation.—Moneys payable in respect of the death of a worker are in the ordinary course paid to the Public Trustee, who is then required to report to the Court oil the allocation of them among the dependants. To enable the report to be made, much tactful inquiry is often called for, and this enables a recommendation to be made to the Court that is considered to be the most equitable one in the particular circumstances, based upon the long experience of the Office in formulating schemes of apportionment. Particular care is taken to ensure that moneys directed by the Court to be held on behalf of the widow and children are expended to the best advantage. Where necessary, portion of the moneys is advanced to the widow to enable her to purchase or erect a dwelling, or to repay a mortgage. Where a mortgage is taken from the widow to secure amount advanced, provision is made for crediting her with a reasonable sum as maintenance of the children. Claims for Damages.—The Public Trustee is not, as he is in the case of compensation moneys, the statutory custodian of moneys awarded or paid as compensation for damages, except in the case of moneys recovered on behalf of an infant or person of unsound mind. In these cases it is usual for the Public Trustee to report to the Court upon the allocation of the moneys, and here again careful investigation has to be made regarding the relative dependency of those entitled to the moneys and the most equitable method of allocation among them. Other Duties.^ —The above are some only of the many capacities in which, as already stated, the Public Trustee acts pursuant to statute, Court order or other authority, ranging from the administration of the estates of convicts (other than Maoris) to consenting to the disposal by will by a minor of his interest in a life insurance policy. Enemy Property Emergency Regulations 1939—During the year the Public Trustee, as Custodian of Enemy Property, has continued to carry out the duties cast upon him under the Enemy Property Emergency Regulations 1939. Funds representing enemy property collected or realized by the Public Trustee and now held amount to £97,450. Negotiations for a final settlement with the Italian Government, pursuant to the Treaty of Peace Regulations 1948, were continued during the year, and on the 19th April, 1950, the final agreement was signed, and the funds held on behalf of Italian nationals have since been disbursed. Negotiations are still continuing for inter-Government agreements dealing with the disposal of funds still held for nationals of several other countries. Much work is entailed, in collaboration with the Department of External Affairs, in dealing with claims of New Zealand nationals and others against former enemy and enemy-occupied countries in respect of loss and damage suffered to their property.

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