PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE,

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1736, 29 April 1913, Page 6

PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE,

OPPOSITION CHARGES UPSET. An article printed in a local antiReform newspaper oil Saturday made certain-charges against the Hon. A. -L. Herdtnan, as Minister in Charge of the Public.'.Trust, Office,,,; P,iio, .charge was that ,nn appointmepi; : [\ras.muda to the staff of the Public Trust Office 0:1 March 31 by Ministerial influence. A report furnished to the Minister by. the Public Trustee slates that this is not SO, and sets out the facts as follow:—.

"On March 28 n young lady wrote to you asking for tin appointment as typist© in tho Public Trust Office. You forward-, cd the letter to tho office with a nimuto' to mo, 'For your consideration, and please draft reply.' Tho Deputy Public Trustee returned the letter to you with a minute thai: there was a vacancy for n junior lypisle, and tho applicant might ho appointed at a named salary. The Deputy also forwarded to you for your signature if approved, an othcial reply to the lady, informing her that a position was vacant as junior lypisle, and.miming the salary. The lady accepted, and*, was appointed accordingly. • "Everything was dftnc, in the usual official way, and the appointment was made on the recommendation of the Deputy. "I am glad to say that the lady is performing her duties with entiro satisfaction." Another charge made in the same newspaper article was that in acting as Minister in Charge of tlm Public Trust Office, tho Hon. A. L. Herdman acted illegally, as under the statute the Minister for Finance had control. On this subject the following Departmental report has bsen furnished to the Minister:— "Tho statement is'quite incorrect. The Interpretation Act provides that 'Minister' includes any responsible Minister of the Crown who for tho time being is acting for tho Minister. For very many years past tho practice has been to placo the Public Trust Office under the control of some other Minister than the Minister for Finance. For example, Mr. Ngat-a acted for years. Prior to him Mr, (now Sir Jas.) Carroll acted. There is nothing irregular or unusual about it. The practice obtains not only with the Public Trust Office but also with other ■ Government Departments, as, for example, tho Government Life Insurance Department.