§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That a Supplementary sum, not exceeding £12, be granted to His Majesty, to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1918, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of Public Trustee."
§ Mr. KINGThis is only a small Vote, but I am rather disquieted by the note which I see at the foot of the Estimate, to the effect that the Public Trustee has actually been guilty of a breach of trust involving the country in a loss of £2,002. There are many people who, in making their wills, appoint the Public Trustee, who, I believe, does his work remarkably well. In fact, his is a very great public institution, and I am very glad to see that it carries on at so small a cost to the country. I should like to know, however, whether it is the trustee himself or one of his officials who is responsible for this loss, and whether, if it is an official, he has been reprimanded, or the matter has been otherwise dealt with. I should like also to know whether the particular trusts which have suffered loss will be indemnified. A few explanatory remarks upon this subject would be welcome.
§ Mr. BALDWINThe thing that strikes one who is not a lawyer about the office of the Public Trustee is that though we have some cause for complaint in this instance, it is very remarkable, especially in these times, when clerical staffs have been so interfered with by military service, that the office of the Public Trustee gets through such an enormous amount of work of so diversified and technical a character and makes so few mistakes as it does. I can assure the Committee it is a source of regret to us that we have had to put down at all such a sub-head as a loss on this Vote, and due note has been taken of it. I am quite sure my hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Mr. King) would not wish to pillory one in this House for a mistake of this kind, and I do not think that any useful service would be caused by going into the details of the mistake that has led to this loss. I can give him my word that they were not of a grave nature but, as my hon. Friend the Solicitor-General suggests, were of an exceptional nature, and I shall be pleased to tell him. what they were. I feel confident that the members of the Committee would not desire to make the details public.
§ Sir W. ESSEXWere it not for this misadventure we would have had a profit on the carrying on of the office?
§ Mr. BALDWINYes.
§ Question put, and agreed to.