THE HUNTLY DISASTER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2265, 26 September 1914, Page 9

THE HUNTLY DISASTER.

RELIEF MEASURES. - A HtJNTLY COMMITTEE. (By TeleEraph—Press Association.) Huntly, September 25. A statement of tho Tgdes and Labour Council that the jiuntly Relief Committee was illegally constituted is stated to be quite incorrect. Tho committee Las the. full approval of the miners. A mass meeting on Tuesday night, packed to tho doors, heard the chairman of the Town Buard on tho subject, and fully approved all that had been done. The trustees appointed, Messrs. J. P. Bailey, J.P., L. B. Harris, and Robert Greenwell, are old residents ; and business men of the highest reputation! Speaking to a Dominion reporter yesterday, Mr. R. F. Bollard, M.P., referred to tho statement mado by Mr. R. Semplo'iii regard to tho Huntly Relief Fund. As far as the setting up of the Relief Committee at Huutly was concerned, Mr. Uollard remarked, there was previously in existence a Patriotic Fimfl Committee, consisting of the leading citizens of Huntly and tho executive of,tho Miners' Union. A meeting of that committee was called for the night of September 14 by the chairman of the Town Board, and it was decided to close the. Patriotic Fund, and devote .any further contributions to the "Huntly '■■ Miners' Disaster Relief Fund." Mr. Bollard's name was added to the committee, and a circular was issued setting forth the names of those who had been killed and injured. "Mr. Semple states," added Mr. Bollard, •'that they knew nothing of the meet-; ing until they arrived on the spot. The meeting was held on September 14, the night of the day on which the first funeral was held, 'because it was deemed advisable to start the Relief Fund, at once, so as to relieve immediate distress. The meeting was called by the chairman of the Town Board, and was properly constituted in every respect, and I cannot see "why the Labour people should.want to set up a separate Relief Fund." • ■ ; . The committee, Mr., Bollard added, was anxious to make the furifl a large 6"ne, so that,'after tho sufferers had been relieved, the fund could be made a national affair, to be applied solely for the purpose of dealing wth similar disasters, and the Government is drafting a' Bill to put. the idea into proper form. ' PALMERSTON COMMITTEE. ■ (By Telograph.-Speciol Correspondent,) Palmerston N., September 25. The various Labour bodies held a conference on Thursday to start funds for the relief of the distressed at Huntly. A.committee,was appointed, with Mr. W. E. Parry as chairman, and a scheme was approved to get a band to play in the streets on Saturday of next weckj and.on the Esplanade the following day, while ladies and other collectors "solicit funds: Special, church collections are to be suggested to the Ministers' Association, and public lists opened, for donations. Workers in other quarters have: arranged a concert in the Opera House *■" for Sunday night, ■nhen the Rotorua Maori Choir will assist. ' I "THE DOMINION ,, RELIEF FUND. A fund for the relief of sufferors in. the Huntly disaster has been opened at The Dominion office. We have' to acknowledge the following donations :— \ £ s. d. D. H.S.Riddiford .../......., 10 10 0 Misses Parker and Walsh : (Duke of Edinburgh) ...... 2 5"0 A.M. : 0 5 0 E.M 0 4 0 "Sympathiser" ;t) 2 6 '"' MAYOR'S REL'IEKfU'ND. : •"' -' v- ■•"■.■ £ s.d. Amount previously acknowledged 54 11 6 J. P. Firth- 6 5 0 Frank Reed 5 0 0 Employees of Gordon and Gotch 5 0 0 Mr. Ultan M'Gabe 3 3 0 Mrs. Ultan M'Cabe 2 2 0 A. S. Evans, (P&biatua) ...... 110 Total 76 2 6 HUNTLY DISASTER RELIEF FUND. The joint secretaries, Messrs. L. M. A Rearden and J. Read, acknowledge the receipt of the following amounts: — £ 6. d. Previously acknowledged ... 255 8 6 "Anonymous" 10 0 0 Shearers' Union 10 0 0 J. Ilott and Son 7 7 0 T J. Riske 1.17 2 K Hunter . 10 6 J. Mosley . ....{.... 10 0 Total" 286 3 1 WORK RESUMED AT EXTENDED • • . ■ MINE. ; ' (By Telegraph—Preee Association.) Hamilton, September 23. A largo meeting of the miners was hekl at Huntly last night and discussed the recommendation of .the deputation appointed to approach the_ employers to resume work to-day, pending settlement of the demands for an all-round increase. The matter was argued at great length, the chairman (Mr. S. Dixon),who is president of the union, pointing out that the directors promised that when a settlement was' reached they would make any increase retrospective to the time of resumption. About three hundred men were in the building, and when the motion for resumption was put about seventy voted for and twenty against. The remainder a-bstained from voting. • y When the whistle hlew this morning about two hundred of the two hundred, and thirty men employed at the Extended Mine resumed. ~ Ralph's Mine will not be open for some time, owing to repairs below and the taking of necessary safeguards against further explosions which are not vet completed.' ■ ■ '• Auckland, September" 25. Preparatory to resuming regular work, the managers of the mines, Mr. •Woods and Mr. Fletcher, stated that the response of men was quite satisfactory; Usually there are about 200 men gn'tho Extended Mine, but as Friday is tho last day of the week, it is presumed that some of the men are waiting to bogin with a, clear week. 'It is just a fortnight since the explosion stopped tbe work at the mine, but although the men have not been earning anything, they have received a week's pay, due to 'the fact that the company - always keeps a,week's pay in hand.