KAITANGATA RELIEF FUND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1476, 28 February 1880, Page 23

KAITANGATA RELIEF FUND.

A meeting of the Executive Comn>itt»o of the Kaitangata Relief Fund was held en the 20th inst, the members present being — Professor Sftlmond (in ths chair), M.-ssm W. G-. Geddee, J. L. Gillies, E. Person, W. Wilson, and It. H. Leary.

BEPOET.

The following report for presentation was drawn up and adopted :—: —

By the Kaitangata colliery accident, which happened on 21st February, 1879, 34 men and boys lost their lives, 24 wives were made widows, and 81 children fatherless. To the number of child.icn four were subsequently added.

The total sum realised by subscriptions and donations was £15,804 13s Id. Interest to the amount of £103 ss, credited the account till handed over to tho Trustees, made a total of £15,910 18s Id. The amount disbursed by the Treasurer, under authority of the Interim Committee, amounted to £1128 28 lid, which, with £127 4s paid by the Treasurer to the Executive Committee appointed on 26th June, made a total of £1255 6s lid. There remained to bo handed over to the Trustees the sum of £14,655 11s 2d ; the Trustees being his Worship the Mayor of Dunedin, and Messrs R. Oliver, W. M. Ilodglrins, G. Turnbull, and J. T. Mackerras. The Executive Committee's accounts show that it has received since its appointment £1228 17s, and that it has disbursed £11 2 i S'j Id, leaving a balance at the credit of its bank account at the present date of £104 8s lid. In presenting the accounts it has been thought advisable to make up a full statement of the receipts and expenditure from the beginning, so as to have the whole transactions brought up to the present date, as a record. The accounts are presented in such a form as seems to make any remarks or explanations by the Committee unneccusary. The annual income from capital invested is meanwhile insufficient to meet the annual outlay without to some extent drawing on the capital

It has been a matter of some anxiety to tho Committee to deal generously and equitably by those for whom tho public have made such liberal provision according to the circumstances of cases, which presented considerable diversity, and involved tho consideration of not a few details. It is the purpose of the Committee carefully to revise the circumstances of each case, and remove any inequalities which may have entered into arrangements necessarily made with some haste in the first instance. They arc confident, however, that no great change will be nccoosary. During this first year of the existence of the fund some changes have occurred among those for whom it was created. Pour of the widows have been married : and in these cases an allowance has been continued for each of her children under 14 years of age. One of the widows has had to be placed in the Lunatic Asylum ; and the Committee have placed her children under the care of another of the widows, whom the}' can trust to be a good guardian to them. Another of the widows has returned to England. No deaths have occurred.

The Committee is glad to be able to report on the whole favourably of the spirit and conduct manifested by the widows. With one exceptional case they have had no trouble beyond what must necessarily arise from our common infirmities, and the complicated details of tho work entrusted to them.

The Committee has to acknowledge the good serviuos rendered by Mr David Dunn, of Kaitangata, in distributing tho alimony fortnightly among the widows who have continued to reside in Kaitangata, and by Mr Runeiman, of Green Island, who has performed a similar service to those who removed to that district. During the year two vacancies having occurred in the Committee, Messrs J. L. Gillies and R. 11. Lcary were appointed by the Committee of the Benevolent Institution. Tho Committee now consists of the following :— Profos-jor Salmond, W. G. Geddoa, W. Wilson, It. Patorson, T. T. Kitchio, Alex. Ronnie, J. T. Gillies R. H. Leary, and ])&\ v\ Dunn, with Mayors of Auckland, Wellington, Chribtcluirch, and lnvoiWuill ex qffieio.

William Saluoxd, Chairman. Dunedin, 21st February, 18S0.

]?INANOS.

Along with the rapo- fc, "tareineata of rove'-u-j and expenditure wove laid upon, tha tibia. The TnEAHUitKR'a alatujui'int showed ihi\ v , the total re"flipfr=i IVorn 'inscription!', including a, donaU-jti of L 230 9 j from th*> K-n-tangavi.' 11 i <>a i pocapr,ny, "ivt be:a L 15.504 I.'ss lii. to wi ioli iutore.it to the amount op LIOG 5-s had fco ba a \ded, making a total < f 1*15,91.0 18a Id. The diatniraeawufa previous to tut)

appointment' f>f the Executive Committee on June 26th. 1879, had been:— Weekly allowances, L46S l&i ; expenses of sending one widow to Britain, LBS ; medical attendance, debts paid, &c, L 337 15j lid; expend* d by the Kaitang*ta Coal Company and given as a donation, L 236 9-s— leaving a balanre to credit of Ll4 782 15* 2d. Of this L 127 4i had been handed over by cheque to the Executive Com. mittee, and Ll4 655 11s 2d was placed in the hands of the trustees.

The Executive Committee's statement showed that since Bth July there had been received from the trustees in various ?ums 11228 17s. There had been expended in alimony from 26th June, 1879, to 20th February, 1880, L 996 Is 6d, aad in other ways Ll2B 6* 7d, leaving a balance in the Colonial Bank at date of LlO4 83 lid.

This wa9 the whole of the business transacted.