DUNEDIN DAY BY DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4440, 21 August 1901, Page 5

DUNEDIN DAY BY DAY.

SPECIAL TO THE “TIMES.” DUNEDIN. August 20. Mr D. A. Aiken is going to Wellington to take charge temporarily of the Union Company’s branch, Mr Sleigh, the traffic manager, being detained here, as a witness in th© infanticide trial. About fift" peq-ons interested in mining met this afternoon and resolved to form a Dredge-owners’ Industrial Association for Otago and Southland. A committee was set up to draft a constitutionMr J. C. Thomson, who presided, said th# primary object of the Association was to counteract the demands of the Dredtreworkers’ Association, but' it would also take cognisance of ail matters affecting the owners’ interests. The meeting also resolved that Mr W. Brown, now in Wellington, be requested to give evidence before the Parliamentary Committee on mining matters and amendments of th© Companies Act.

Mr Jas. Mills, who was deputed by the Otago Patriotic Committee to inquire in Loudon as to the possibility of Otago receiving back her share of money subscribed to the various Lord Mayor’s funds, reports that at least a fair proportion of the amount contributed in New Zealanu may eventually find its way back to the colony, but he admits that technical difficulties may cause a very long delay. Mr Mills had interviews with the secretaries of Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund Committee, which deals with disabled soldiers, and of the Royal Commission of the Patriotic Fund, which deals with the fund raised in aid of widows and orphans. The secretary of Lloyd’s stated that his committee were prepared to send sums to the colony to be administered by the proper authority on being advised in a general way of the number of men claiming and the amount likely to be required. They had anticipated requirements by sending out to Australia the sum of £6OOO, of which £6OO went to Now Zealand in May, 1900. This money was remitted through the Agent-General, presumably to the Government, but receipt of it has never been acknowledged and nobody seems to know what has become of it. Both the secretaries assured Mr Mills that their respective committees fully recognised the colonial claims and acknowledged that these are entitled to the full benefit of the fund in common with those arising in connection with the Imperial forces and quite irrespective of any sum contributed by the colony or district. It would be desirable, Mr Mills says, that a central authority should be constituted in the colony through whom representations could bo made, either direct to the various committees afLondon or through the Agent-Genefal.