THE HUNTLY DISASTER

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13176, 3 October 1914, Page 4

THE HUNTLY DISASTER

URGENT NEED FOR RELIEF.

The editor, gratefully, aoknowledgfla the following donation • to. the , above

HUNT'LY DISASTER RELIEF FUND.

To tho Editor of "Tho Times"

Dear Sin;—On behalf of the Committee wo have to thank you for yojjr prompt action ■ in opening subscription • lists on behalf of,tho above Fund a'tiij wo-trust that your efforts will bo.y/elj 5upp0rted,,..,,.,,.. ■■\ifJp dui-ALida ... . •Wo have to advise you that we ||ave appointed .a responsible committee; jn lluntly consisting.of the Rov M, J, Evans, Rev. Father Edge, and MfiJorß Knnppor and Meltings, and can insure.. you that all.eases of distress wi|j bji' promptly and fairly dealt with.—We remain, yours faithfully, L. M. REARDEN,' J. READ,: _ r •Joint Secretaries. • Trades Hall, ■ N Wellington, September 30,1914. L_ THE COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY.

YESTERDAY'S SITTING,

(Por Press Association^.

AUCKLAND, Oct, 2,

The Commission set up to inquire into the recent disaster at Ralph's Mino ( Huntly, by which forty-three men lost their lives, commenced to take evidence at the Courthouse, Huntly,' this morning- ' '']'' Evidence was given"' by Professor Dixon, British explosion expert, on tlio, same lines as at tho inquest. He stated that he now considered tho mine dangerous owing to the explosive nat'ue of tlio coal duat. The men had evidently been'working for a long time in jliis mino under dangerous['.'conditions. '

'Boyd Bennioj. Mines lasp'icto-, raid in August ho Buggered to il) UnderSecretary of Mines that the manager of the mines be prosecuted jii M connection with'tho accident to aA* \ or who was burned.by"a slight ion of gas, There wcYo sovoral Biic|i' explosions, His proposal to prosecute was , supported by, Frank Reed, InspectingEngineer of vMines, who said a prosecution would do good oven if a conviction could not be obtained under the obsolete and weak Coal Mines Act, for it would show tho public that tho Mines Departmont was alive to the danger and Would eauso the management'to give greater attention, to tho safety of the niiri.O in ' future. Should aii ■ .explosion occur tho fact- of tho prosecution would ho' , appreciated by tlio public. Tho Department, however, took'-no action owing to the difficulty in obtaining n conviction. ' , . , '

Bonnie, in. \m ] c ttor to tiro UnderSecretary of Mluoa r alao mentioned that lie could get no assistance iu the work of inspection from the Miners' Union or their, check inspectoral which were the tieation of tho liming Company's Union. Piesscd to explain this,;\vitucoS "aid that the moinWio tunned the new Union uftoi tho.s'tukc uorc gouefiijly believed to be agents ot tlic loinpilnyi 'the Commission t adjourned' till \omoiiow, v * ■■'■■■;>\Z

£ S.; d. . | Mrs Held and^'MlM. j£ Reid JEldewlie) ( .. 10 10 ''"?'•! John Buckley (Red. - '. ' ■ X castle) ..... 10 o. o • 6 o 6 J. R.-Boswell,.. : .. :2 •0, 6 "Two FrlondB'^,... l'. . 0 0 MlssBorton' .'./'.. 5 b . 0. H. Kout . .;, .. 10 0 M.S.G. .•:■■;> '.,..■ •■.•• ,5 p j. A. Sutton; 1 .... 3 0 0 L. J. Cox .... .. A 0 0 "ArduraM-, '., .. 1 0 0 Mr and Mrs-Walter Williamson, sou* .. 10 V Miss Patterson:; .. IS m R, A. McDowell .. 5 0 0 x J. Fergusson . * ... 10 0 Miss Robertson (Toi / karahi) .. .. 1 0 0 Captain TurpieV .. 10 0 Mrs J. H. Milligan .. 1 1 fi Mr Schlutor .. .. 1 O 1 ,0 Mrs Mee, Greta Street 1 0 9 W.J. Lory. .... ,1 1 0 E,P. Lee, M.P.,, .. 6 0. 0 Heber Newton '.. 2 2 '6 Mrs Mowbray ... . . 1 1 DO "A.J,B." 7 6 Total to date.. . .54 14 . U