THE KAITANGATA RELIEF FUND.

Dunstan Times, Issue 883, 21 March 1879, Page 3

THE KAITANGATA RELIEF FUND.

(10 THE EDITOR OF THE DUNSTAN TIMES.) j Sir Now that this subject is in every- I boil ’a mouth, 1 would ask you t<> allow me space to try to show how toe Central Committee in Dunedin have mad" a great mas- ! take—The mistake I allude to is in the j name of Hi Fund, and I presume, from past experience that the Committee will not use this fund for any other pin pose , than for the relief of sufferers by tills particular calamity. This is what I take it to mean. The Committee, according to their original circular, state that LIO.OOl) would be required. Now. this is quite right, if the Committee wish to keep the survivors for the rest of their lives in comparative ease : but if they do not intend to do this then the amount is excessive. The Committee would have done wisely to have adopted Mr R. (Sillies’ suggestion, and have called the fund hy a general name, available in the Hi st instance, of course for the Karaugata sufferers, and af'er these, in due course and from various causes, ceased to draw from the fund, then the money could go on accumulating until some other cause arose for the use of it. The Committee aponremly intomi to swallow up the whole of this fund (both principal and interest) in the relief ot the Kaitangata sufferers. Now, I contend that the interest alone of LIO,OOO is more than sufficient to meet the demands of the eas'd. From various causes the list of recipients of the charity would be sine to decrease, and they would go on decreasing until in two or three years there would probably he m>r. half a-dozen on 'the list. , Had the fun I been called by some such ge- ! noral nani" as “ The Mining accidents Re- | lief Funl,” I‘ feel sure the already muniti- j emit list of donations ivouil nave been ! largely increased. Everybody knows that I relief misapplied (or applied in excess) tends to heighten misery, especially among the I poorer classes. To place fid f unities beyond 1 tli ■ need of winking for thrir living would i lie c-ud in the extreme to thems ‘lves—an I i this is what the wholesale distribution of LlO.OtlO w uild do. By I lie judicious in- ! vestment of this sum, I doubt not the hand- ] some yearly inen ne of I ODD would be si- j cure I, and this, if apportioned to suit the | various ernes, would place everyone beyond ■ ctual want. Then, sir. it is very desirable that these poor survivors should be separated, for by keeping them together, it only ten’s to fix (he disaster more permanently in their memory. I would su gest that 'hey should be hillete I in various localities under the supervision of the Committee in inv par: of the Colony they desired. The facts of their ease would soon be known, and .hero are many who would willingly give employment io them if th"V proved themselves deserving of --r anxious to get it. Then 'gain, what will these 88 children do if ►hey are all located along with their mothers in one small town, and what oh incus are there of their being able to as sist in earning their own living for a long time to come. ? Now that we have started a subscription in this district. 1 would suggest to the Chairman and Local Committee the desirability of using every endeavor to get the name of the fund changed. To this end I would further suggest that a copy of this letter be s-mt to the Committee in every town, where there is a list open, requesting them each to s nd such a representation to the Central Committeo as would induce that ho ly to give way to the majority. 1 do not mean to say anything disparaging to the efforts now being made, only I think the Committee have made a mistake : and in this way it mi iht he put to them Let every snh-com raittee in every town urge their request very pointedly o i paper, an I I th nk the argument 1 have used would not be unavailing. Bv adopting this method, I believe we should have in a few years a magnificent fund, availab'e and sufficient to meet every 1 demand that is likely to be made upon it, and one that would ender it unnecessary • to ask the public to subscribe again for a similar purpose. 1 hope my remarks will commend themselves to every thinking • person. Apologising for the length of this let ter--I am, &c., . - Pro Bono Publico.