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Dunstan Times, Issue 900, 18 July 1879, Page 2

The world persists in repeating itself. It is strange, but nevertheless true in a remarkably large number of instances, that no sooner is a crime of a peculiar nature committed or detected, or a question of an unusual character involving extraordinary matter of debate crops up for discussion in one part of the world, than that at one and the same time at the antipodes are similar crimes either committed or detected, or that similar questions arise. A few short months ago Great Britain and Victoria were simultaneously agitated by the detection of bank frauds of a most unprecedented character, carrying ruin and misery into thousands of households ; now it is Great Britain and New Zealand who are each discussing the disposal of funds subscribed for a special purpose. In Britain it is tbe fund to relieve the sufferers by the Borke’s Drift calamity ; and in Now Zealand that for relieving the sufferers by the Kaitangata coal mining explosion. In each case the sum subscribed by a strange coincidence—Bls,o(lo—is far away and above what will meet either case, and the question involved is—can or should the Committees of Management of the funds divert any of the monies from the object it was ostensibly given for, and thus create a general fund to meet cases of a simi'ar character. In so fains the New Zealand question is concerned, it we mistake not the issue was first raised by a correspondent in our columns. At the time we agreed with it, and from all that has been said pro and con we see no reason to alter our opinion. That the deepest sympathy was felt for the bereaved widows and children of the killed, was fully proved by the open-handed liberality with which the call for relief was responded to, but that any one of the subscribers imagined for one moment that the relief they were affording was to raise these widows and children into positions of affluence and beyond working for a living we cannot believe ; and we feel assured that had the Committee in a hasty manner and without consideration on the closing of the lists merely divided the total pro rata, a howl far louder and deeper would have been lovc.llola. inst them by the mass of the

people than is now by the few argument a

live individuals who are ever though invariably in the minority to be found in the opposition. To trench upon the fund for other purposes, however pressing they may be, until the first and original claimants were to the intent of the subscribers relieved- in that word relieved is the text of the appeal—we would not hold to, but immediately that relief is given, wo contend that the balance, let it be one, five, or however many thousands or hundreds as the case may be, should be set aside as a nucleus of a general mining accident fund. In but few instances where general subscriptions have been raised for specific purposes has the full total been distributed, and we see no reason why the present case should be any exception. As we said before, an exactly similar question is now before the British public Tiie Kaitangata Fund Committee are doubtless aware of this, and that they are merely fencing with the question so as to gain time, and thus enable them to know what their more experienced brethren in Britain do in the matter, we will not say, but so that no room for suspicion on that head may arise, we would urge them to come to a decision without any further meetings ; and we opine that their decision will, on the ground of either morality or equity, bear as careful a scrutiny as that of the British Committee.