THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1872.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 146, 28 March 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1872.

This evening the Miners’ Accident Relief Fund Committee will meet at the Governor Bowen, and we trust there will be a good attendance, and that business will be proceeded with. From the manner in which the necessity of such a fund being established has been acknowledged, we are rather surprised that so long a delay has occurred before setting the thing fairly afloat. But it is by no means too late to set vigorously to work. With proper

management, we believe there would be no difficulty in getting 2,000 or 3,000 miners to subscribe their sixpence per week, and the benefits to be derived therefrom have been so often pointed out and are so obvious that they do not require to be repeated. In the sist’er colonies, especially Victori a,the miners’ accident funds have been looked upon as national blessings, have done an immense amount of good, and have afforded most liberal support to the local hospitals. There is therefore no reason why the Accident Fund Committee should not work in harmony with the Hospital Committee. Each, indeed, should be a mutual help to the other. The funds of the Hospital are none too large at present for the calls made upon them, and in case of accident, any man sent to the Hospital by the Accident Fund committee would be paid for by them, and the funds of the Hospital would be thus relieved. It is not proposed that the siad fund should be in any way antagonistic to any existing charitable institution or friendly society—quite the contrary. It is to provide for cases of accident only, and has been called into existence to meet the great number of casualties which must inevitably occur in any mining community, the sufferers by which are now left to public chanty for relief in very many cases a degrading position, which every honest-minded man shrinks from occupying. A miner may have a very rough exterior, and yet have keenly sensitive feelings of independence, which ought to be respected. The prosperity of the Thames is chiefly due to the hard work of the miner. They are, as a body, the most valuable class amongst us, and everything likely to be of benefit to them should be fostered and encouraged in every way. If the mine managers will only take the matter up warmly, and if the miners feel that their wishes and interests are consulted, and that it is not sought to force anything down their throats without their full concurrence and approval, the Thames Miners’ Accident Fund will grow and flourish. We trust that at the meeting this evening all preliminaries which yet require completion will be arranged, and that the institution sought to bo established will become an accomplished fact. In the selection of officers, it will be necessary to choose such men as the miners have confidence in, and who have the time, inclination, and ability to attend to the business before them. It will be a great thing accomplished, if a start is made on a satifactory footing. Unanimity amongst all concerned, and a cordial desire to promote the interests of the miners in this matter, will go far to ensure success. On one or two previous occasions, the meetings have been chosen on rather unfortunate days, when there have been other meetings elsewhere ; but we are not aware of any meeting of importance this evening which should prevent a lull attendance of the committee, and we hope they will, one and all, be present, and unite heartily to bring the business before them to a speedy and satisfactory conclusion. In these, as in all similar undertakings, the sooner they are started the better. We cannot tell the day or {hour when some unforeseen accident may occur, and find us unprepared to meet it. With the Miners’ Accident Fund fairly started, we should know that in the event of any casualty occurring, there was provision made for the sufferers without their feelings beinghurt by any humiliating sense of dependence on the public, and not a day more should be lost in the committee getting to work.