8.—9

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WILLS DEPOSITED. 128. It is not only the influx of new business that shows a consistent increase, but the number of wills appointing the Public Trustee executor and trustee year by year continues undiminished. During last year 6,893 wills were deposited. This constitutes a record, and is 840 in excess of the preceding year. The total number on deposit is now 68,253. The following table supplies the details of how this number is made up : — Wills on hand on 31st March, 1929 . . . . . . 62,841 Add new wills from Ist April, 1929, to 31st March, 1930 .. .. ..6,893 Deduct wills withdrawn from Ist April, 1929, to 31st March, 1930, through death of testator or otherwise .. .. 1,481 Net increase in number of wills on deposit . . . . 5,412 Total number of wills on deposit on 31st March, 1930 .. .. .. .. 68,253 The subjoined table sets forth the yearly increase in wills deposited for the past ten years : — Number of wills on deposit on 31st March, 1920 .. 25,792 Net increase for year ending — 31st March, 1921 .. .. .. .. 2,564 1922 .. .. .. .. 3,483 1923 .. .. .. .. 3,663 1924 .. .. . . .. 4,180 1925 .. .. .. .. 4,420 1926 .. .. .. .. 4,855 1927 .. .. .. .. 4,574 1928 .. .. .. .. 4,534 1929 .. .. .. .. 4,776 1930 .. .. .. .. 5,412 Number of wills on deposit on 31st March, 1930 . . 68,253 Through changes of circumstances many testators find it necessary frequently to modify or vary the provisions of their wills, and in consequence a large amount of redrafting of wills already on deposit has to be undertaken. During the past year 3,864 wills were so redrafted. Thus the total number of wills prepared by the Office during the year, including both new wills and redrafts, reached the record figure of 10,757. 129. Despite the enormous increase in the number of wills executed in recent years, there are still many persons who fail to make a testamentary disposition. Some procrastinate in the hope of having clearer ideas later on; others either do not consider the matter at all, or, if they do, are entirely careless in regard to it, or are content to leave the future to take care of itself. Every one with dependants should see that adequate provision is made for them as far as circumstances will permit, and that by means of a properly drawn will provision is made to ensure the administration of the estate to the best advantage of the beneficiaries in accordance with their needs. A careful regard to this duty will safeguard one's dependants against considerable anxiety and inconvenience which might otherwise be inflicted upon them, by intestacy. "No will " means that the estate must come under the operation of the law which has been designed to deal with the subject because of intestacy, but various difficulties prevent the enactment of a law to meet the peculiar needs and special circumstances of every case. The law cannot provide for all the different circumstances of several dependants being considered ; indeed, all it can do is to act rigidly on specified degrees of kinship without any discrimination as to the varying needs of the several dependants. Moreover, intestacy does not provide for the conservation of an estate over an indefinite period in a manner calculated to the best advantage of the beneficiaries.