Wellington Seamen and Distress

Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 293, 11 October 1922, Page 2

Wellington Seamen and Distress

WKEKJ/V', NOT XI Ml , , I'AtMKNTS. An important departure lias' been decided upon by the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand in connection viUi the raising of subscriptions for members in distress, or the dependents of distressed members. Within the last two years the union has raised subscriptions amounting to £811 for distressed members, the number of lists distributed among seamen, on the various ships being" six.

Some little time ago a sum Of £127 was contributed by seamen on behalf or an elderly comrade in. the South Island. In accordance with the custom of the union, the "whole of the money was handed'over in one sum at the end of a month. Recently, the body of the assisted member was found in. Lyttelton Harbour, and when liis will was opened it was discovered that he had left all his money (including the amount received from the union) to a well-to-do person in another part of the Dominion, who had befriended him some years before by lending him a small amount of £1 when he-"was "hard up."

Believing that all money raised for distressed members should be used only for the purpose of aiding them, or their dependents, over their difficulties, the Seamen's Union has now resolved that, in future, all subscriptions raised shall be placed to the credit of the Union, which will control the disbursement of the money.' The executive will pay to the distressed member, or dependents, a sum not exceeding £i weekly until the total amount received by way of subscriptions is exhausted, or until the executive resolves that there is no further need to provide assistance. The executh?e may pay any account incurred by the .member or dependents up to fourteen days after the issue of the subscription list.

An important point about the new decision ol the Union is that any balance standing to the credit, of a subscription list shall ba retained by the, Union in a special fund, to be used for relieeving ; any other cases of distress that may arise.