Correspondence.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1088, 8 September 1904, Page 2

Correspondence.

THE WAIHI MINERS' AND WORKERS' UNION TO THK EDITOR I Hib,—l have just received a copy of the ■ last balance sheet of the above, and would s.call tho union's ottoution thereto, as it seems au unsatisfactory document. First, tho contributions for tho year ending 80th June, 1904, amount to .£724 6s lOd. Tho accident pay for the same period is 1520 , ss, or 72 per cent of tho contributions, ; This is an appallm" record. The previous year's I thought abnormal, though it was only 52 per rent, of the contributions, The year 1900 was 54 per cent., whilst 't 1901 was 51 per cent, In Juno, 1902, t, those ongaged resuscitating the Union could count on somo 320 members and a heavy liability to pay off ami they obtained 812 now uieinbors during tho ensuing year, Of the gross number some 'JO were to bo struok off the 101 l as absentees, or more than twelve months in arrear, which left them with 550 members, During the past yonv 430 now g members joined, but the contributions only it reached £724 6s lOd or £9 Os Oil moro than ] tho 550 would havo paid had tho addod e numbers kept tip the average, The m. crowed receipts of JG15914 4d in coutribu- ' tious for the year was mot by an increase of accident pay for the eiimo period of s £234 0* Bd. Let the Union ask itself 0 whoro the members Imvo gone, and what is the cause of this stato of affaire, 8 General exponsos, £217 Is 4d. One is ij loft to find out wiwt is included in this. Last yoar the amount was £14515s Id, bub that included £3O lis law costs, £5 to 0 hospital, £2O to funiluro workers, Auck- >' land, and £l3 10-j for cleaning hall. As 1 tho hall cleaner''! services were dispensed 9 with in May 1903, the last sum is now ; sayed. At any rate thoro should have been a savin? of about £65 for tho yoarin tho peneral expenses alono, I tfas advisod to use lump sums to simplify the balance j shoet I declined, as my experioncois that all accounts should bo placed boforo the contributors in such form that thoy oan bo understood by all and not the mere experts, To add only £3O 14s 3d to tho benovolont ■ fund during tho yoar is not much in favour of tho Union. Rent of hall appears as £23 15s Od. In tho previous year it was £63 2s 10il, but that included ground rent for shops £0 0s Od, and also £8 Os 0d for Parliamentary and licensing polls, also candidates' meetings. Two local iostitU" tions paid somo £25 0s Od between them, Waiaino has done well by its record of £69 ami appears to havo saved tho situation, In a word, tho Union commenced the year in July Ist, 1903, with a sum of £7O 3s 3d cash in bauk and in hand from which is to bo deducted benovolont fund £3O Is od, and fatal accident levies £3717 sod, leaving a not balance of £2 5s 3d. Remember wo wore only fivo months in existence and had just paid £l5O for fatil accidents. Now the position is this: The gross income for tho past year was £llßs 9* lid; tho balance in bank and hand is £69 5s sd, from which is to be doduoted benovolent fund £43 2s 3d, fatnl' accident lovios £6 5s 6d, and £23 unpaid in ono of tho fatal accident cases, so thoy begin the present yoar with a baltinoo R°amst them of Jill 7s 7d as nono of the sums abovo can bo used for any other purposo than that tor which thoy aro intended. I hope tho Union will not bo offonded whon I tell thorn that thoy must havo £IOO always in rcservo over and abovo all legal liabilities, If thoy wish to servo Unionism thoy must set to work and get up tho • reserve fund, or roform it by leaving out tho acoident branch, I admit this is a dry, hard letter, but thoro i: neither poetry nor romance in tigures.-I am etc.,' Thomas Mooney, Greyuiouth, Augvst 30th, 1904j

ANONYMOUS' LBTTJBKS TO TUB HDITOB Sin.—Lot me draw ihe attention of the publio to n low and dotcstable' prnctico which is in full swing hero—the writing of anonymous lctte-H, Souio persons, afniitl or ashamed to wool their identity, have abused the privileges even of that loathsome custom, ami liavo made a poor and defenceless widow the objeet of their vonoiD. I nib confident I shall have the sympathy of your readers in condemning Ibis cowardly and invßrilish method of stabbing in the dark.—l am, etc, A, W, FtSHBR Katibti, September 3rd, 1904, *