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Wills deposited during the year— Hawera .. .. .. .. . . .. ..92 345.721 Stratford .. .. .. .. .. ..83 183,170 Totals .. .. .. .. .. ..175 528,891 Total number of wills deposited to 31st March, 1925— Hawera .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 737 Stratford .. .. .. .. ;. .. .. 615 1,352 Sinking funds in district (cash and investment) .. .. .. 68 62,413 Negotiable securities held on behalf of estates and testators Hawera and Stratford, £10,075. Cash held to credit of estate funds : General estates and unclaimed lands (excluding investment agencies and sinking funds). £135,615. Receipts. Payments. Cash receipts and payments — £ s. d. £ s. d. Hawera.. .. .. .. .. 103,676 12 8 97,052 18 2 Stratford .. .. .. .. 83,401 15 0 59,818 10 5 .. £187,078 7 8 £156,871 8 7 Total amount of Common Fund investments in district— Hawera. Stratford. Number. Value. Number. Value. £ £ Flat mortgages .. .. .. ..208 612,941 74 175,592 Instalment mortgages .. .. .. 15 18,573 7 9,500 Local-body debentures .. .. 35 382,467 51 384,441 Loans granted during year .. .. 24 101,050 25 170,400 Loans granted from other funds .. .. 101 290,811 22 68,050 Stratford Office.— The new building was completed and officially opened in June, 1924, by the Hon. J. G. Coates. The upper floor and part of the ground floor have been leased at remunerative rentals, but it is apparent from the steady increase in business that at least the whole of the latter will be required in the near future. The building, accommodation, furniture, and appointments have evoked favourable comments on the enterprise shown by the Public Trustee in providing facilities for the transaction of his business. The statistics are included above with the Hawera figures, and show that the progress of former year? has been well maintained. There is, however, a slight drop in the number of new wills executed. The town and district have made marked progress in the past year, as evidenced by the number of new buildings erected and branches opened by well-known business firms trading in other parts of the Dominion. The completion of the railway giving direct communication with the Waikato and Auckland will make Stratford an important junction, and land has been purchased by the Railway Department for a new station and yards to provide for this. The Office has contributed to the progress both in the town and surrounding country by providing finance where the margin of security has been satisfactory. The granting of loans repayable in instalments spread over a number of years has been taken advantage of by a number of people, and is enabling persons of moderate means to pay for their homes. Part-time Offices- Manaia and Opunake offices are visited regularly from Hawera, and Eltham from Stratford. In each case the offices have proved a convenience to clients, and have facilitated the tranasction of business in the particular district. Agency. —The only agency under the control of this office is at Patea. It is in charge of Mr. E. F. Hemingway. The total number of staff employed at the 31st March, 1925 was —Hawera, fourteen ; Stratford, six. This is an increase of four at Hawera and two at Stratford over the previous year. The increase in both cases was rendered necessary by the additional business coming in and the involved nature of the estates. Training of Junior Officers. —The volume of work in the past year has not allowed time to be given to the systematic training of junior officers. Their work, however, has been carefully supervised, and this has resulted in a considerable degree of improvement. The only direction in which training has been given has been in regard to handwriting and typing in the case of cadets, and typing and machining in the case of the junior typist. Prospects of the Office in the District. —The best indications as to this are (a) the number of new wills being executed, and (b) the progress of the district. The number of wills completed during the past year is well up to the average, in spite of the fact that during the epidemic of infantile paralysis country people refrained, to a great extent, from coming in to town. The total number of wills of testators in the district held by the Office is steadily increasing, and should provide for a large increase of business in the future.

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