The District Agency Of The Public Trust Office and The West Coast Settlements Reserves Agency are domiciled in the Government Buildings, fronting Silver Street, New Plymouth. The Public Trustee has been locally represented since the commencement of the business of the department, and the West Coast Reserves Agency dates from 1883. This department deals with all Native Reserves, and West Coast Settlement Reserves throughout Taranaki, the lands themselves being vested in fee simple in the Public Trustee. They originally formed a portion of the confiscated territory, and now return a rental of about £26,000 per annum. There are about 1000 leases. The rentals are due half-yearly, and are divided twice a year among about 2500 native beneficiaries, to whom payment is made in the various settlements nearest to the native pas. The lands affected extend from White Cliffs in the north, to Waitotara, in the south. There is a sub-agency at Hawera.

Mr. Thomas William Fisher, J.P., has been agent for the Public Trustee and West Coast Reserves Agent at New Plymouth since the year 1895. He is further referred to on page 1466 of the Wellington volume of this. Cyclopedia.