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Trust Office to be agents in the large towns of the colony for the districts to which those towns belong, and to undertake the inspection of the properties which in those districts may be in the charge of the office, or form the securities on which the funds of the office may be invested; but the difficulty of obtaining suitable officers from the Civil Service departments to fill the positions in the Public Trust Office which the agency appointments would render vacant has until recently retarded the completion of the necessary arrangements. One inspector for the whole of the colony would be unable to render to the office a service either satisfactory generally or commensurate with the expense, and it is on this account proposed to add inspection to the duties of the agencies. At the centres of population where agencies are desirable in the interests of the office, but where the business is small, an arrangement has been made with the Police Department for the local police officer to represent the office ; and the earnest and intelligent activity of these agents has been such as to satisfy me that the interests of the Public Trust Office could have no better care. At places where no agent is appointed the police constables afford gratuitously a very valuable assistance and source of reference. The present accommodation of the office has long been found ill-adapted, and too small, both in respect to the space allotted for the clerks and to the strong-room. The latest proposal is that the office should be accommodated in the buildings now in course of erection for the Government Insurance Office ; but several months must elapse before that portion of the building is ready which is designed for the Public Trust Office, while a removal ought not to be delayed. The following three statements show, —

(1.) The Revenue and Expenditure of the Public Trust Office for the Two Years 1891 and 1892.

(2.) The Income of the Public Trust Office Year by Year, from 1888 to 1892 inclusive.

Expenditure. 1891. 1892. Total. ialaries Jommission to agents 'lerical assistance and auditing .. jegal expenses itationery and printing Miscellaneous loyal Commission Jnauthorised )eficiency in realisation of mortgages £ s. d. 5,146 19 10 1,327 18 4 539 15 2 93 11 2 306 16 5 1,681 4 9 2,280 6 10 726 17 3 £ s. d. 4,872 7 4 1,457 18 4 1,006 4 8 38 1 4 122 4 5 2,652 11 11 1,596 7 8 789 0 11 1,717 7 9 £ s. d. 10,019 7 2 2,785 16 8 1,545 19 10 131 12 6 429 0 10 4,333 16 8 3,876 14 6 1,515 18 2 1,717 7 9 12,103 9 9 14,252 4 4 26,355 14 1 Revenue. 11891. 1892. Total. jommission and charges interest in excess of amount credited to properties .. iliscellaneous Balance, being excess of expenditure .. £ s. d. .. I 5,470 15 4 .. j 4,308 11 5 352 6 6 2,041 16 6 12,103 9 9 £ s. d. 5,912 14 2 6,177 7 7 250 12 7 1,911 10 0 14,252 4 4 £ s. d. 11,383 9 6 10,485 19 0 602 19 1 3,953 6 6 14,252 4 4 26,355 14 1

intestates jVills and trusts Real and lunatics .. Native reserves West Coast Settlement Reserves Miscellaneous £ s. d. 2,246 0 10 2,302 10 8 483 11 3 874 17 5 470 19 6 261 8 5 £ s. d. 2,104 6 1 2,659 15 10 395 4 2 812 3 9 778 16 7 281 8 5 £ s. d. 1,604 7 7 1,967 10 3 362 11 4 865 12 8 575 0 7 100 0 2 £ s. d. 1,723 0 6 1,849 18 10 503 5 11 615 4 3 587 3 5 192 3 5 £ s. d. 1,695 18 8 1,872 15 1 513 15 6 492 2 9 743 3 8 594 18 6 [nterest Profit on sale of Inscribed Stock 6,639 8 1 4,580 8 3 7,031 14 10 6,326 8 8 969 13 10 5,565 8 7 3,595 12 5 5,470 16 4 4,308 12 5 5,912 14 2 6,177 7 7 Total income 11,219 16 4 14,327 17 4 9,161 1 0 9,779 8 9 12,090 1 9 Total expenditure 8,653 0 0 9,145 0 0 8,469 0 0 11,751 0 0 14,001 0 0