Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1891. The Public Trust Commission.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 16 July 1891, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1891. The Public Trust Commission.

» In ihe beginning of March the Hon. Mr Xarnach and Messrs Longhrey and Macdonald opened an inquiry into the working of the Public Trust Office. They had been appointed a Royal Commission, and were invested with very large powers. They have reported to the Governor arid the' report a^d, evidence taken has been published, and forms a very bulky volume of 840 pages with another 105 pages of reports, returns, &c. The Commissioners have undoubtedly exposed the existence of almost criminal carelessness on the part of those conducting the office, and are to be thanked forgoing so thoroughly into the business, but it is exceedingly to be regretted that such able men, employed on such a serious enquiry, should have permitted them-

selves to pre-judge the evidence, that was to be produced.' To the few who will wade through such a mass of questions, our assertions of the manner that the Commissioners assumed with the persons being examined, will be at once noticed, and to substantiate it to our readers we produce some extracts proving the same. The Bey. rharles Daniel De Castro is the Chief Clerk of the Trust Office and having been shown ,to have neglected, in one instance, though there may have been others, to have made out a detailed inventory of some jewellery of a deceased person, was subjected to such an examination only necessary if it had been thought he had stolen it, in fact the Commissioners, for a time, acted as though he had. Amongst the jewellery, it had been notified by the person who lodged it with Mr De Castro, that there was a heavy gold bracelet set with large stones of great value. The jewellery spoken of was received in a box, the contents of which Mr De Castro asserted had been sold by Thomas & Co, the auctioneers. The Commissioners hunted up the account sales of the firm, and those showed that only a bangle was' sold for the low price 01 two shillings and sixpence! Now Mr De Castro, a bangle is not a bracelet, where is the bracelet ? The Commissioners asked Mr De Castro, Then you admit Mr Morrison gave you the bracelet ? Yes, all the effects. If he states, as a matter of certainty, that the bracelet was among the jewellery, would you contradict him ? I say there is nothing but what appears on the account sales. I have received nothing but what appears on the account sales. Do you think I stole it?" On another occasion when one of the firm of Thomas & Co was being examined, the Chairman remarked " I do not think the bracelet ever reached the auctioneers." But it did, as after a lot of hunting on the witness's pai't a Mr Cleary, a general dealer in ; Wellington, appeared, and produced the identical bracelet, purchased at Thomas & Co.'s sale for two shillings and sixpence 1 The terrible uproar occurred owing to this bracelet, having been described in the account sales as a bangle ! Because the Commissioners found a ' mare's nest ,' in this instance it does not prove that they are incorrect in all their enquiries, but it shows the unpleasant suspicions they entertained of the officers of this Department. The Chairman attempted certain jocularities which read singularly out of place in such a report, not to mention their being, very insulting to whom they were addressed. In referring to Mr De Castro ,to other witnesses the Chairman called him the "jeweller" of the establishment. Mr De Castro having stated that 1 he had bought a coat at one of the public auctions of the effects in an estate, the Chairman after asking about the cost of the coat, if it was new or old, also wanted to know 11 was it a coat of many colours ?" In the examination of the Public Trustee, the fact that Mr De Castro is a clergyman rankles in the Chair; man's mind, as we find him asking " I notice your second in command is a gentleman in holy orders? That is so. Is that with the object of gi\ing greater sanctity to the business of the office and the manner of conducting it ? lam not aware." After about two more pages: of; questions the Chairman's curiosity and impertinence again crops up in this manner "Has the : Rev. Mr, :De Castro, outside his office here, .to do any professional duties in connection with the Public Trust Office ? Is he required to open the office with prayer ? No he is not called upon to do aay duty of that kind. Then, I do not know why you require a gentleman in holy orders in the office ?" That may be open to as much argument as the need of a gentleman as Chairman of a Eoyal Commission.