THE HUNTLY DISASTER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2420, 27 March 1915, Page 8

THE HUNTLY DISASTER

CONCERNING RELIEF FUNDS INQUIRIES BY MAYOR OF CHRISTCHURCH (Br T«l<er«.ph.—Pmm Aesocittion.l Chrlstohuroh, March 26. The Mayor, Mr. H. Holland, who recently visited Huntly on behalf of the local Huntly Relief Committee, laid before a meeting of the committee to-day the result of his investigations. The secretary" of the Huntly Mining Disaster Relief Committee submitted a statement to him showing about £8500 available for bestowing relief. The committee at Hunt-lv was at present paying £32 10s. weekly, reduced payments being made to those receiving benefits under the Widows' Pensions Act. He was also shown a letter to the Public Trustee, wherein the coinmitteo expressed willingness for, the fund to be administered by the Public Trustee on certain conditions, also, the Public Trustee's reply, stating' his willingness' to take over the administration of the fund on the conditions named. Referring to his personal investigations, Mr. Holland said lie most closely inquired into the property owned by the beneficiaries, and found one woman possessed of two houses which she had let, the total capital value being £540. Another had two houses, the total capital value, being £940, one being let. A -third had twoliouses of a total capital value of £470. She lived in one, as a widow in the previous case did,.but at the time of his visit was receiving nothing from the other. Two "widows possessed farms'—one in Huntly West and one in North Auckland—which carried 30 cows. In the last-mentioned case the farm was mortgaged for £600. The value of the equity was unknown to Mr. Holland, and he was unable to say if the other properties mentioned were mortgaged. Another widow had a farm at Taupiri. The house in which one widow lived was insured for £385. Two widows had accepted compensation from the company, one receiving £500 and the other £650. There remained 27 who had issued writs against the company, each olaiming £1500. He found that 15s. {jer week and ss. weekly for each child had been paid already from the Relief Fund in addition to £50 from the Miners' Fund, £50 for funeral expenses, and £10 from the Medical Union. It was never denied by anyone in Huntly that_ expensive tombstones had been provided by. widows, and the average cost had been between £25 and £30. Seme cost very much more. Mr. Holland stated that he told the chairman of the committee at Huntly that he would advise the Christchurch Committee to keep the money in its hands on deposit till the compensation cases were settled.

After a short discussion it was resolved that the funds in the hands of the Christchurch Committee remain on deposit uiitil the committee. is satisfied that the conditions under which the Public Trustee had accepted the administration had been incorporated in a deed of trust; then the money to be paid over to the Public Trustee. It was. reported that the funds in the hands of the Christchurcli Committee totalled £1055.' '