H.—l4

90

Public Trust Office. 1. Adding and Listing Machines. —These have been placed on stands with castors. Instructions were given some time ago to the agents to have the machines electrically controlled. One has received attention, and the other will be fitted immediately a suitable motor comes to hand. Two additional machines are on order, and will also be electrically controlled. Special operators have been attached to the two machines now in use. 2. Tin milling non-listing machines are used chiefly at the balancing periods for crosschecking the ledger summaries. Several of the typists have received expert instruction in their manipulation, and the machines will be used on all work for which they are best suited. .'i. Form of Statement of Account I/'.'/'. 123). —The estates are so varied in the nature of their assets and liabilities that it is the general opinion that a printed form would he of no practical use. So far no action has been taken, but the idea will not In- allowed to drop before being thoroughly tested. 4. Rubber Stamps. Additional stamps have been supplied, where necessary. 5. Vouchers. —All maintenance and salary vouchers are now typed in duplicate. The present voucher form is somewhat heavy to ensure strength, but when ordering fresh supplies an effort will be made to get a thinner paper of equal Btrength, so that three clear copies may be taken simultaneously. 6. Dockets. —Owing t,, introduction of the new system of check, ledger dockets are noxv unnecessary. 7. Distribution Sheets, Native Branch. —A Burroughs machine will be used to check the vouchers received from the Reserves Agent, and thus relieve the clerks. 8. Rent Notice®, Satin- Branch. A set of forms (in triplicate) to enable these notices to be written by machine process has been submitted for your consideration. !). Voucher Fornix, Native Branch.- A fresh form has been printed, in which the claimant's name is entered once only. 111. Returns, Nativt Branch. These are prepared annually in April. The suggestions made will be adopted when future returns are prepared. 11. Mental Patients' Branch. —This was a temporary arrangement only, owing to the congestion on the ground-floor. The branch, including the typist, is now being shifted to the second floor. 12. Receipt Forms.—New forms for use with double-faced carbon have been drafted. The proof copies have been returned to the Printer I'm amendment, as suggested, 13. Finn] Receipt f/'.T. 112 a). —The suggestion will be embodied in the next order. 14. Ledger Clerks, Wills Branch. —The work is very heavy and the staff is young. A competent junior at £ 110—£ 120 a year is required to strengthen the branch. 15. Sinking Fund and Superannuation Brunch. —This branch also performs the Land-settle-ment Finance work, which is steadily increasing, ami demands special attention. It is probable, also, owing to the increase in loan work, that some of the miscellaneous funds at present under the control of the Mortgage Branch will be transferred to this branch. It is deemed advisable, therefore, to keep tin- branch intact in the meantime. 10. Mortgage Cards, Mortgage Branch. —There are no written mortgage cards. This reference is to cards used in special cases for payments from the Coal-miners' Relief Funds. At present there are about forty hand-ruled cards in use, and they will increase at the rate of about ten a year. Owing to the small number required the expense of printing is hardly justified. All cards used in connection with mortgages are printed. 17. Mortgage-instalment Notices. —A form has been drafted to enable these to be typed by carbon process, and will lie submitted for approval shortly. 18. Vouchers. Goal-miners' Relief Fund. —This has reference to Gold-miners' Relief Fund vouchers. New forms have been printed, and these are filled in by machine process 1!). Journal of Interest ilm .- In the meantime the notices only (vide 17) will be typed. Some difficulty presents itself in substituting a master sheet for the bound journal, but the matter will receive further consideration. 2(1 Loans maturing.— Printed forms of advice have been obtained and are noxv in use. 21. Salary Slue! ll'.T. J,l). --The form will be amended when the next supply is ordered. 22. Cashier's Branch. —An officer who has a thorough knowledge of the various machines is already attached to the branch, and an extra operator is provided at rush periods. The various forms have now been redrafted for machine process, and another operator is required. 23. Cheques. —'Hie present regulations prescribe the method of signing cheques. New regulations will be drafted shortly, and the matter xvill be brought under the notice of the Hon. the Minister. 24. Classification of Lodgments and Payments. —Forms have been printed, and are now completed by machine process. 25. Payments through High Commissioner and Bank of New Zealand. —Special forms have now been printed and are typed in duplicate. One form is posted; the other is bound, and supplies the information previously contained in the Remittance-book. 26. Pay-list Work. —Forms have been drafted to enable the Pay-list, Statement of Payments, and the Classification-book to be typed simultaneously. 'Ihe dockets have been dispensed with. 27. Summary of Lodgments. —Forms have bum drafted to enable the Statement of Lodgments and the Classification-book to be typed simultaneously. Moreover, the lodgments are arranged in classes, thus facilitating the work of the Examining Officer and the Auditor. In the meantime the work in both 26 and 27 is being done on the old forms, which have been adapted to the purpose.