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17

in the working of the Office. Tn view of the far-reaching nature of the alterations of law and practice, a reference to the principal provisions will be of interest. The title " Local Deputy Public Trustee " has been abolished, and power has been given to appoint District Public Trustees to control districts to be defined by the Public Trustee by notice in the Gazette. A formal notice under the hand and seal of the Public Trustee denning the Public Trust Office districts, and naming the District Public Trustee in charge of each, appeared in the Gazette of the 13th April, 1922. Enlargement of Existing Powers. 42. Owing to the increase in values of property throughout New Zealand of late years it was found that the limits fixed within which powers conferred on the Public Trustee could be exercised tended to restrict the efficient management of estates, and many of the amendments embodied in the Act are in the direction of increasing the limit within which the Public Trustee may exercise such powers. The limit in the value of intestate estates wherein the power of applying the residue towards the maintenance, education, or advancement of the widow or infants is exercisable is raised from £200 to £500. (Section 15.) The power of paying the net residue of an intestate estate to the widow is made to apply to estates up to £200 in value ; the limit was formerly £50. (Section IG.) A similar extension has been effected to the existing power of paying infants' shares in intestate estates to widows for the maintenance, education, or advancement of the infants. Such power may now be exercised where the infants' share does not exceed £200, instead of £50 as hitherto. (Section 17.) The amount up to which the Public Trustee may make periodical or other payments out of the share of an infant in an intestate estate towards the education, maintenance, or advancement of the infant has been increased from £80 to £200 per annum. (Section 18.) The limit within which the Public Trustee may sell, lease, exchange, partition, or mortgage freehold land without application to the Court is increased from £1,000 to £2,000. (Section 20 (2) (c).) The increase in land-values since the original power was conferred justifies the extension now made. By section 21 of the Public Trust Office Amendment Act, 1913, power was given to expend moneys in an estate on'the improvement or development thereof up to £500 without an order of the Court being necessary. The Public Trustee is now administering many large estates, and the limit of £500 was regarded as unduly low. It has now been raised to £2,000. (Section 20 (6).) Where under any Act the Public Trustee is directed to make payment upon an order of the Court to any person entitled to such payment, he is now empowered to make such payment without any order of Court in cases where the amount does not exceed £100. (Section 53.) The limit formerly fixed was £50. The powers of the Public Trustee in respect to unclaimed lands have also been extended. He is authorized, by notice duly gazetted, to notify that any land under £500 in value is vested in him as unclaimed land. The limit of value has been increased from £100 to £500. This increase is in keeping with the rise in the value of land in recent years. (Section 38.) The Public Trustee may sell unclaimed land up to £500 in value, instead of up to £100 only as under the authority of previous Acts. (Section 39.) New Powers conferred on Public Trustee. 43. In addition to the enlargement of existing powers, certain new powers have been conferred upon the Public Trustee by the Act. Hitherto the Public Trustee, under authority of section 87 of the Public Trust Office Act, 1908, has been enabled to apply to a Judge of the Supreme Court to exercise in respect of unclaimed property certain definite powers of management and administration. By the Amendment Act these powers can be exercised by the Public Trustee without the necessity of obtaining a Court order where the property to be dealt with does not exceed £1,000 in value. (Section 41.)

3—B. 9.