THE PENGUIN FUND

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 93, 10 October 1911, Page 5

THE PENGUIN FUND

ALLOCATION OF THE RELIEF MONEY. By Telegraph—Press Association, Wellington, Last Night. The final meeting of the Penguin disaster general committee was held today. Mr. D. McLaren, M.P., presided. The report of the sub-committee showed that <SL persons had received assistance, the individual amounts ranging from £2 to £359 Is 7d. It will be remembered that the survivors of the crew were im--mediately dealt with, and were provided with outfits to enable them to at once be ready for employment, and such was speedily found for them by the Union Steam Ship Company. The total sum J disbursed on account of these was £209 < 16s 9d. the amounts ranging from £7 10s to £33. Of fifteen deceased members of the crew, where claims were made and proof afforded of dependence of others upon their earnings, special con-, sideration was given. Considerable correspondence was rendered necessary to obtain full particulars in corroboration* of the claims. The total sum disbursed under this heading was £402, the amounts varying from £7 to £l6O, the larger amount being due to special circumstances of which the committee are fully cognisant. Ten surviving passengers received £470 10s Id, amounts varying from' £7 to £389 Is 7d, the latter amount /being, the sum paid on account of Mrs. Hanna, the only lady survivor of the wreck. The circumstances in Mrs.* Hanna's case are so well known as not to need repetition. It will probably suffice to state that of the amount above stated £2OO was paid by the committee to the Public Trustee, to be held in trust and paid to her in periodical amounts until her posthumous child shall attain the age of fourteen years. The claims from relatives of the thirty-one passengers deceased involved disbursements amounting to £570 19s Cd, in sums ranging from £2 to £76. The sum of £ 1-206 2s 7d still remains to the oralit of the fund. It has been mentioned that the general committee might approve the proposal to refund to the Shipwreck Society of New Zea- I land their subscription of £2OO, as relief from their society extends to all parts of the Dominion, and it would be of much assistance to the society to receive from the fund a sum which is not now required, and* which was so generously and promptly given by them. This would leave a sum of £IOO6 2s 7d in hand, £SOO of which might, with the approval of the general committee, be placet! in trust at the Post Office Savings Bank, to be held for assistance in any maritime disaster on New Zealand shores, and the balance handed over to the Shipwreck Relief Society. The .report and balance-sheet were adopted. Messrs. J. R. Palmer, L. McLaren and the Mayor, for the time being, were appointed trustees for the administration of the fund. It was resolved that in the event of no claims being made the fund could be used for extending relief in case of any similar disaster, any balance remaining two years hence to be hauled over to the Shipwreck Relief Society. The trustees were given power to fill any vacancy occurring in their ranks.