Appeal Supported

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31277, 25 January 1967, Page 3

Appeal Supported

(From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH, Jan. 24. Money for the relief of the families of the miners who lost their lives in the Strongman State mine disaster last week continued to pour into the appeal fund todays

The mayors of Runanga and Greymouth (Mr C. R. Wylde and Dr. M. B. Dallas) discussed recommendations which will be made to the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) for awards for bravery for those who entered after the explosion in a bid to rescue the miners. Men of the mines rescue station at Dobson were in the mine soon after the explosion and with other volunteers recovered the bodies. The danger of further explosions at that stage could not be discounted.

Awards Sought Mr P. Blanchfield, member of Parliament, said he would pass directly to the Prime Minister any recommendations for awards. The Town Clerk of Greymouth (Mr G. C. Hayter) said today about £l2OO had been paid into the council offices

since Monday morning and “more is coming in all the time.”

The Golden Kiwi lottery fund’s donation of £5OOO has been paid into the Public Trust Office, Wellington, and will immediately begin to accrue 5 per cent interest. The money being handed in at the council offices in Greymouth and Runanga is being paid into a special bank account in Grey mouth and will gain interest of 3 per cent.

,Mr Hayter said a committee would be set up to administer

this account and would probably comprise the two mayors and representatives of the Runanga State Miners’ Union. Already special emergency payments of £5O to dependent families have been paid out. These would be continued as the need arose. The council’s fund would then be handed to the Public Trust for future administration on behalf of the dead miners’ dependents. The erection of permanent sealing in the section of the mine wrecked by the explosion continues around the clock, but the manager (Mr D. F. Brown) said it was still too early to say when production in the unaffected parts of the colliery would be resumed.