The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1891. PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2198, 7 May 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1891. PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE.

Fou many years dissatisfaction has been expressed with the way the business of the Public Trust Office has been managed. It has been frequently referred to in Parliament and out of it, and the general opinion has been that things were not exactly as they ought to have been. With that stolid indifference to public opinion so characteristic of all branches of the Public Service, these grumblings and expressions of disatisfaetior had no effect on the officers of the department They went on their way, treating complaints with supreme contempt, and making no effort to effect amendment. At last the present Government appointed a Eoyal Commission to enquire into the working of the department, with the result that now they have submitted an interim renort of a rather sensational nature. They say first of all that the business has been conducted on loose principles. When estates containing personal property came to be dealt with by the Public Trustee the usual custom was to send the articles to an auctioneer without taking an inventory of them, and depended on the auctioneer’s returns lor making up accounts. Of course, goods could be lest under such

a system as this without aayone know mg anything at all about it, but in addition to this the officers of the department were in the habit of attending the sales and securing bargains. This, too, is a very objectionable practice; but there is worse yet to come. In a certain estate a beneficiary of an inquiring turn of mind wanted to know what became of a piece of lace belonging to his deceased mother, but no trace of it could be found. The Commissioners discovered that an officer of the department took it home so that his wife might value it and forgot to return it. His explanation is that he was ordered away from home next day, and that on his return he became ill and that it was lost, A bracelet is also missing, and no account can be given of it. In this estate there was no necessity for selling the jewellery, and the son of the deceased desired to keep the articles as mementoes of his mother ; but the Public Trustee insisted on selling, and the bracelet went astray. The business independent of all this has been conducted in a dilatory, loose manner. A life policy had once been paid, but it was two years before the persons entitled to the money knew anything at all about it. The system of book-keeping is also very bad, There are eight books, and the great majority of them are admittedly useless. These books render the employment of a large staff necessary, and thus it would appear that nothing is satisfactory. But one of the most interesting disclosures of all is that Sir Harry Atkinson is said to have purchased watches belonging to an intestate estate from the Public i rustee. He is, it is said, to be called upon by the Commission to give an explanation of his conduct. It is really astonishing that Sir Harry Atkinson saw nothing wrong in dealing with the properties of deceased persons in such a way. When purchases like this were made by the Premier of the colony, the chief of the department, and all the principal officers, what can ene think but that they bad a club amongst themselves for picking up bargains. They used to buy not only' for themselves, but for their friends —their sisters, and their cousins, and their aunts. We shall not comment to any greater extent on this —we shall allow the reader to draw his own but we sincerely trust the Government will deal promptly and vigorously with the matter. No one who has placed his estate in the bands of the Public Trustee can feel comfortable until those who have been guilty of such gross mismanagement are removed from office, and the business placed in more trustworthy bands. The thanks and gratitude of the country are due to the present Ministry for having taken such decisive steps in this matter, We hope they will not stop at what they have done, but will place the department in charge of persons who will once more reinspire confidence in it.