21

8.—9

It is only to be expected that the greater part of the technical portion of the Office library comprises text-books and reports and other publications dealing with legal matters. These cover the recognized text-books and books of reference, as well as law reports both of English and New Zealand cases, publications on forms and precedents, and gazettes. There are also the standard works on accountancy, auditing, and finance, and books dealing with mortgage and investment matters and administration work generally. For the War Regulations and the Clearing Office work it has been necessary to have copies of the Treaties of Peace with the various ex-enemy countries, the reports of the tribunals and other authoritative bodies set up under the Treaties of Peace to adjudicate on disputed claims, copies of various post-war agreements between the Allied and ex-enemy Powers, and certain standard books on war and treaty legislation. Current publications covering trust work, business methods, office routine and machinery, accountancy and finance, as well as publications and bulletins dealing with agricultural, dairying, and pastoral matters in New Zealand, are also provided. These are circulated amongst the controlling officers of the Department for their information, and upon return filed for future reference. RECORDS. 42. In connection with trustee records it was recently stated : — The " estate " should be the unit, and the records relating to each estate should be complete. It should be possible to call for the files relating to an estate and to have before you the whole of the information and records relating to that estate. This would include correspondence files, the accountancy file, the real-estate file, and any other files it has been found necessary to keep. It is true, of course, that these separate files may have to be lent to different departments when special work thereon is in progress, if duplication of records is to be avoided, but they should be returned to the central filing system. The Office record system is simple and effective. A separate file is kept for each estate or other matter, and to this are attached all relative correspondence and papers other than valuable documents. In estates with numerous assets and other matters of complexity, where the file can with advantage be subdivided, appropriate sub-files are made. Obviously the practice facilitates the handling of these matters, as it enables the relative papers in regard to them to be segregated, and perusal of a voluminous mass of correspondence and records having no bearing upon the point under consideration at the moment to be avoided. In many estates and trusts the administration continues for long periods of years, and, as may be expected, in the course of time the incidental records become very bulky. To keep the records up to date, all dead matter is removed from the current files and separately filed for reference as occasion requires. Likewise, when the administration of an estate or fund is completed, the relative papers are removed from the current files and filed in numerical sequence with those of other " closed " matters. I must point out, however, that important papers and deeds are never kept on the files, but are separately stored in suitable strong-rooms under competent and safe custody. At Head Office and at the larger branches there are record sections to handle the record and mail work and to perform other general duties in connection with the conduct of the business. The care of records is an important matter, and every precaution is taken to afford facility in handling and convenience of reference. Steel fixtures have been installed in Head Office and certain of the Branches for the storage of the files, which are periodically overhauled and supervised in order that they will be maintained in good condition and that no papers attached to them may become torn or mutilated. ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES. New Business. 43. In the year under review there has been by far the largest accession of new business that the Office has yet experienced. New estates and funds to the number of 3,845, of an aggregate value of £8,473,916, were accepted for administration during the year. This striking total exceeds by over £1,370,000 the very substantial