A WIDOW'S CLAIM.

NZ Truth, Issue 107, 6 July 1907, Page 6

A WIDOW'S CLAIM.

HOW CAPTAIN STENERSON* liOST HIS LIFE.

An Appeal to the ; Government

For a Compassionate Allowance.

loss of life' attending an ace!- ; 'dent at sea at Kaxamea on "July) >18, } 1906, is a matter which* should receive the careful consideration of the; Government,, with a view of awarding" a widowefd mother a compassion-ate allowance, and m giving. this matter the publicity, it •deserves, "Truth," is actuated by, only , on© motive, and that is the alleviation of a genuine case of distress occasioned -by. the death,, through unforeseen circumstances, of a 'husband and a father* and, moreover, biecause w© are of the opinion that justice has not been done. A few weeks back the wife of Captain Christian Stsnerson proceeded against the Government on a claim of ,£4OO under tbe Workers'Compensation. "Act, but the widow was worsted,, inasmuch' as it was held that the deceased was a contractor under the Government, thus invalidating -her claim. • Moreover, theGovernment had made an- ofier of £200, which 1 the .widow xl-id not exactly decline, but, acting/on legal advice/..,' sou^'.i redness under -the Workers' ComlJensation, Act, and on both these- matters ",Tru:th." will have a little to say lateij-on, -Now, tbe facts j of-.; r: 'the unfortunate accident were) .fully inquired into at the inquest held.-; subsequently , and at the hearing of the claim for compensation, and .the only evid<xice on. which it could possibly be held that Stenersdn was 1 a contractor was given (by one Harold Thompson, a youthful individual, who (described himself as an assistant engineer of the Pub* lie Works Department, Wellington. In r July of 1906, Thompson was engaged at Karaniea, erecting beacons, ami m his -evidence sawl foe was "'laying off detail survey of the Karamea River, and part of the work consistedof sounding the Bai*."' As assistance Was reqqtiireti, Captain Steverson rand a crew from scow ; ' 'Rangi" were engaged', as STENERSON WAS CONSIDERED! AN EXPERT at thie work. According to the assistant engineer. Stenerson stated tfo would do the work for £2 per Mlay for boat and crew, and started On 'the afternoon of July 18. P The *york of sounding! was commenoad, af•^tr which the boat, with Steverson ai>\ the tiller,. rc>as steered north.' Sud-* denviy a roller broke over the stern iart©\ the boat, throwing all the occupants \ into the water. The men appeared yto be swimming, and another seemed * o tee clinging to the boat, a/nd althdugh assistance was render eld as prompt.tly as possible, the four men were Wowmed, and five days later Sten-etson'^ lifeless body was found on -the Opj^rara Beach; near the river- The rompihs of a young man named Hunger m&ce discovered a month or two laterV the bodies oi the other two sea.men, both! of whom were friendless^ foreigners, have not, "'Truth" believe^ been, yet ' recovered.. It was a sad accident,, inasmuch 1 as Stenerson left •a, widow, and two children m not the\.jbg§£,^y£"£^inggjg-, and consQijuenitly i t^BPPHI^^^SS' j that the Governonleuit should sVskead to award to the widow a fair \emount of compensation. 'As 1 stated, the claim failed/, liecause, on the evid circe oi Thompson, it was held that the deceased was a contractor and tb c Government was, therefore, not li&*>ie- Unfortunately, on the point of tt e 1 terms of the engagement, the you thful engineer cannot be contra dicte I. This fact, however can 'he proved, that it was NOT: PROFITABLE FOR STENERto have engaged Jon those terms, inasmuch as he, •a* master of the Rangi,. earned a faiiily comfortable living., However, a/s the pla-im for compensation failed, jit is useless to push ] that point any fiurther. It was feared j th'a-t alter brintgibg and losing the ac- j tion for oompenshation that the sum of £200., origimMly offered by . the Government, wjould be withdrawn. Such, however, -fed not prove to he j the case, The IJJnder-Secretary of the j Public Works Department has notified the widow, jwho is m Wellington amd m very, atraighteniad; circumstances, that .thfe Minister is still prepared ■to a uthorise the payment of the -As 2 00, but, and it is a big, but too, only on tjhe condition that it is vested m a trustee, on such terms as will ensure the whole amount be tog ■ applied for her personal benefit. No doubt, the Minister means 'well* but the fact that | this poor womaaf has bravely battled along for over 1! 5 months and is m very sore distras ;s, seiems to be carefully lost sight, of. With tbe £200 she proposes to buy •! x home on the West Coast and to sta/rt m some little !biusi->, ness, and 'Trutln." .therefore urges on the Governmenit the claim of this widow woman fpr an additional allowance of from £100 to £200. Since : her husband's -d< ?ath, her struggle has been a hard awe painful one, she has , been buffeted on all sides, and slue is sick nigh unto Meath. The struggle of a widow to caw; .for herself and her fatherless ohil<dnen. cannot perhaps be property appreciated by those who live m comfort/ and m ease, by those whose life has /been a bed of roses. This poor wom(ai> has had a hard and bitter struggle? for over twelve months, she 1/ias undergone all the tortures a-rtd anxiety which the EVER RAMiP ANT RED-TAPEISM of Departmental; routine is responsible for.. "Truijh", has been urged to advocate tbAJ just claim of this widow and orphans for justice and compensation. Tfaep deceased met his death while carry/ing out Government work, and the teoverniment should be the last to tase advantage of any flaw to rob a wkVow and her bairns of their due. This! claim "Truth" su-bmits tothe Government with every confid--. ence, and) trusts that there will be no necessity. 4o refer' to it aga-in.i :