B.— 9a

4

agreement, the difference .is settled by arbitration. The tenant, instead of having his capital sunk in the land, can use it in his business or for other purposes. In actual working it is, however, one-sided. The arbitrators and umpire, where one is necessary, are local men, and from a whole community directly or indirectly interested in the issue it is difficult to get judges to take an impartial view of the matter. The reason is as old as humanity, "No man can be a judge in his own case." A word of commendation is due to those men who, as valuers or arbitrators, have up to the present stood out for what they considered fair. The feeling, prompted by self-interest, on the question of rent is, however, growing so strong that it will soon be difficult to get such men to act for the Natives. An amendment of the Act is urgently needed. The fixing of the rent should be by a Stipendiary Magistrate empowered to take evidence on oath in order to ascertain what is a fair ground-rental. An outside Magistrate should be appointed to do this work. His expenses would be paid by the office, and the costs of arbitration now paid by the lessees would be saved to them. As an alternative, arbitration should be abolished, and the rental fixed at 5 per cent, on the unimproved value of the land included in the lease as shown on the Government roll value at the date of the renewal of the lease. All areas occupied by churches and schools should pay a peppercorn rental only as long as used exclusively for such purposes. The Native owners would not object to this. I have, &c, J. W. Poynton, Public Trustee.

Revenue and Expenditure of the Public Trust Office for the Years ended 31st March, 1904 to 1909.

* Includes £1,414; cost of plans for proposed new premises. t Includes £548 19s. Id.; cost of plans for proposed new premises. t Includes £1,718 Bs. 4d.; the amount of defalcations of an officer. Note.—The cost of new premises for the Head Office is being defrayed out of the accumulated profits of the office. Number of staff in 1904, 54 ; average salary, £181 13s. : number in 1909, 96 ; average salary, £164 6s.

Income of the Public Trust Office Year by Year from 1903 to 31st March, 1909.

Year ended 31st March, 1904. Year ended 31st March, 1905. Year ended 31st March, 1906. Year ended 31st March, 1907. Year ended 31st March, 1908. Year ended 31st March, 1909. Expenditure. Salaries Commission to agents Clerical assistance and auditing Legal expenses Stationery, printing, and office requisites Assurance and Reserve Fund Miscellaneous Balance, being excess of revenue £ s. d. 9,810 6 8 2,154 1 3 165 19 11 £ s. d. 10,363 15 2 2,360 8 7 555 0 5 £ s. d. 11,219 1 5 3,064 17 8 591 13 11 £ s. d. 12,177 12 4 2,904 4 1 626 3 1 £ s. d 13,662 18 2 2,997 18 7 438 3 4 £ s. d. 15,772 1 0 2,934 7 5 738 19 10 262 18 3 504 11 10 236 18 9 785 1 0 246 11 6 726 13 8 287 8 7 903 3 11 274 18 0 1,294 18 2 313 19 6 1,162 6 8 1,750 11 4 2,412 1 2 3,488 16 9 2,997 9 9 2,913 5 10 2,409 18 7 *5,446 0 7 7,897 13 4 4,124 9 7 11,543 6 0 f4,690 3 7 8,501 2 6 4,683 15 1 8,976 1 5 J7,467 7 6 5,008 0 4 5,031 8 6 8,440 12 9 27,992 3 2 32,381 0 8 32,529 1 0 33,555 18 3 34,057 9 11 36,803 14 3 Revenue. Commission and charges .. Interest in excess of amount credited to estates Miscellaneous .. 12,536 15 7 14,520 16 3 13,784 8 0 17,790 15 6 14,401 12 1 16,827 1 11 16,844 11 11 15,688 5 1 18,212 2 10 14,704 2 11 18,504 15 7 17,323 10 0 934 11 4 799 17 2 1,300 7 0 1,023 1 3 1,141 4 2 975 8 8 27,992 3 2 32,381 0 8 32,529 1 0 33,555 18 3 34,057 9 11 36,803 14 3

Class of Estates. Year ended 31st March, 1903. Year ended 31st March, 1904. Year ended 31st March, 1905. Year ended 31st March, 1906. Year ended 31st March, 1907. Year ended 31st March, 1908. Year ended 31st March, 1909. [ntestates' Wills, trusts, sinking funds, &c* Real and lunatics' Native reserves .. West Coast settlement reserves linking funds* Miscellaneous £ 8. d. 2,867 3 2 3,042 8 3 £ s. d. 3,064 19 11 4,754 6 0 £ s. d. 2,753 8 10 1 6,084 13 9 £ s. d. 3,407 17 4 6,271 10 9 £ s. d. 3,627 7 1 i] 7,392 18 8 £ s. d. 3,373 14 31 i 8,231 10 io! , £ s. d. 3,553 3 6 >| 7,379 8 2 792 8 9 628 16 7 1,782 7 9 925 8 0 669 14 2, 1,768 0 7 1 1,193 7 11 605 13 5 1,756 13 6 1,103 7 6 555 15 6 1,829 3 11 1,375 7 6 675 18 7 2,000 5' 7 1 1,661 1 11 630 6 11 1,866 10 4 [ 1,333 3 10 603 7 1 2,175 13 6 1,901 17 2 2,288 18 3 2,190 7 9 2,534' 4 1 2,795 15 9 544 16 9 3,045 6 0 567 10 4 3,867 17 10 interest 11,015 1 8 12,777 11 5: 13,471 6 11 : 14,520 16 3 14,584 5 2 17,796 15 6 15,701 19 1 16,827 1 11 17,867 13 2 15,688 5 1 19,353 7 0 14,704 2 11 19,480 4 3 17,323 10 0 Total income .. Total expenditure i, 23,792 13 1 19,467 0 4 1 27,992 3 2 20,094 9 10 32,381 0 8 20,837 14 8 32,529 1 0 24,027 18 6 33,555 18 3 24,579 16 10 34,057 9 11 29,049 9 7 36,803 14 3 28,363 1 6 * Sinkini Funds Account shown Bβ] rarately on 31st March, 1908.