MR LOUDEN IN REPLY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 37

MR LOUDEN IN REPLY.

In connection with the criticism by the chairman of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College of the action of the Shipwreck Relief Society in regard to the manner in which the crew 6f the Dundonald were afforded relief, Mr London, In response to a request from one of our reporteis, said he thought Mr Rut,=ell had spoken with an imperfect knowledge of the facts, and by so doing had cast a slur on one of the most worthy societies in the Dominion. That there might have been a little laxity on the part of an officer in not arranging for letters arriving during the Christmas and New Year holidays to be replied to might be true, but to say that the society had shown inaction with regard to the men was unwarranted. " Immediately on receipt of the news, as jNlavor," said Mr Loudon, "I wired to the" Mayor of the Bluff as to assistance required, and received a reply that immediate relief was not necessary, and statins ■that £37 had been subscribed locally. Yet in the face of this the Emergency Committee of the society met at once and decided to send £32 to the Mayor of Invercaorgjll to be handed to the survivors. The ■telegrams from the Mayor of Invercargill indicated that everything possible was being done for the men. The society had to be guided by that gentleman, he being on the spot. If a further sum had been requested I have no doubt the society would have promptly acceded to the ie<jue«f. As to the exhibition of the Dundonald relics, the facts are as follow :— I received a telegram from Mr G. W. Russell raying that if the Dunedin people would like 10 see them ho ■would arrange to hate them sent to Dun■odin, to bo exhibited for the benefit of the survnoi-. "] he offer uas accepted with thank-:, and the secretary of the society •was instructed to make the ncce=sary ac-rangtmcnti. The proceeds of the exhibition hcie and at Timaru were handed to the sot ie ( v, and the Emergency Committee, \Mth the knowledge that the urgent necessities cf the men had been piovided for, considered 11 unneces-aiv to do any thing further until the ordinary monthly meeting. At that meeting it was unanimously

resolved that the Christchurch people be asked to remit the funds in hand, which, along with those held in Dunedin, were to be equally divided and distiibuted among the survivors. In the event of any not being traced the shares were to be held by the society — surely a most reasonable proposal. As to the Government subsidy referred to, this is fixed at pound for pound up to £200, but^s the revenue of the society exceeds this sum its funds did not benefit from the exhibition of the relics promoted by the Canterbury College. Upon the facts stated I certainly think the Shipwreck Relief Society is entitled to an amende honorable from Mr Russell.