MINERS IN DISTRESS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1881, 15 October 1913, Page 7

MINERS IN DISTRESS.

V . MARINE DEPARTMENT TO ASSIST. The plight of a small party of minors on ail island ill Preservation Inlet, 75 miles from Hiverton, who aro said to be in danger of starvation, was mentioned in the House of Representatives yesterday, by Mr. J. C. Thomson, member for Wallace. Mr. Thomson said that he had received a telegram from tho minors that day asking him to bring the matter up. The position was that tlio only means •of communication with the island 011 which' the miners woro located was by launch, except when • a steamer visited the place at raro intervals. A launch in chargo of a Mr. Leader had been employed to tako provisions to the island, but the Marino Department had refused to allow the trip to bo made. Mr. Leader hold a certificate which enabled him to carry passengers insido a harbour. In tho present case lie had- not proposed to carry passengers, but only to tako down a cargo of provisions. He (Mr. Thomson) know of no reason why tho Marino Department should prevent Mr. Leader doing so. , The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher saul that he had received a telegram on tbo previous day stating that somo miners_ on an island in Preservation Inlet were in a starving condition, and asking for assistance. On making inquiries ho found that the reason; the launch in charge of Mr. Loader was unable to proceed to tho island was that tho vessel was entirely unseaworthy, so that tho Marino Department survoryor was unablo to pass her. He had found, also, that tho Hinemoa had called at Puysegur Point six weeks previously, so that if tho miners were in danger of starvation it must bo duo to the oversight or carelessness of tbo people who had sent them down, because tho Hinemoa would have carried provisions at ordinary freight rates. Ho had arranged that tho "Amokura, which would leave on October 25, should call if necessary at I'uyscgur Point on her way to the Campbell Islands.