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dairying interests and the farming industry generally, in the latest and most improved methods of agriculture, in buying, selling, and breeding stock, farming economics, and so on. These experts devote the whole of their time to this work, and their advice is readily available whenever it may be required. In the urban areas, too, the estates under administration by the Public Trustee have important freehold and leasehold holdings. Under this category are often included valuable blocks of business and other premises, presenting problems more or less peculiar to themselves, and differing largely from those affecting rural holdings. To facilitate the administration of these interests the Office employs permanent Property Inspectors, qualified to give advice regarding valuations, lettingvalues, and subdivision of premises, to supervise tenancies and repairs, to conduct inspections, and generally to see that the properties concerned are dealt with to the best advantage. In dealing with financial and commercial interests the services of a Financial Adviser are retained to advise upon stock and share holdings, business, and other matters of a kindred nature. 3. Reasonable Charges. —Although very valuable benefits are received by estates from the services of these expert officers, there is no additional charge to estates on account of their services. The Public Trustee's commission charge covers not only the duties of administration, but also extensive legal and other professional services rendered, so that no additional fees are charged for numerous matters incidental to the administration for which, in the absence of the special services rendered by the expert staff, it would be necessary to engage the services of professional men, with consequent expense to the estates. regulations governing the Public Trust Office the rates of commission and charges applicable to the various classes of estates are set out in detail, so that testators and other clients are able at any time to calculate for themselves the charges which will be made for the administration of their affairs by the Office. I wish to stress that the fees prescribed in the regulations are the maximum amounts which may be charged. It is recognized that under a fixed scale of charges it is wellnigh impossible to provide for all cases and circumstances, and that without some safeguard rigid operation of such a scale would at times work an injustice. It is to be noted, therefore, that under the Office regulations the Public Trustee has power to review charges made for the administration of estates, and in appropriate cases to grant reductions. In practice the charges made in every estate or trust are so reviewed, and the fee which is fixed is one considered commensurate with the services rendered. By this means elasticity is given to the operation of the prescribed scale, and provision made for adjusting the charges upon the basis of the work actually performed. 4. Advisory Trustees. —A phase of the Office administration which confers a special advantage in the management of estates is the system of appointment of advisory trustees. This system was devised in order to secure for estates and beneficiaries the benefit of the facilities afforded by the Public Trustee's administration and at the same time to enable resort to be made in suitable cases to additional specialized knowledge. By legislation passed in 1913 authority was conferred for the appointment of "advisory trustees" to co-operate with the Public Trustee in the administration of an estate. The Public Trust Office, by reason of its long experience in the administration of all classes of estates, and by the qualifications of the officers on its staff, can assure the satisfactory performance of the wishes of testators. However, it may happen in the case of a business or a farm estate, or an estate of a complex nature, in which the assets present unusual difficulties of management, that a testator, whilst desiring the safety and care in administration available through the Public Trust Office, holds the opinion that the co-operation with the Public Trustee of persons with special knowledge or experience would be advantageous in the administration of the estate. By recourse to this provision the desired result may be achieved through the appointment of an advisory trustee. The advisory trustee appointed may be a business associate with an intimate knowledge of the complexities of the estate, an accountant, a family solicitor, and so forth. One advisory trustee may be

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