THE HUNTLY FUND.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13645, 27 March 1915, Page 8

THE HUNTLY FUND.

INVESTIGATION AND REPORT.

CHRISTCHURCH MONEY HELD IN

RESERVE;

'Por Press Association.!

CHRISTCHURCH, last night. The Mayor (Mr H. Holland), who recently visited Huntly on behalf of the local/ Huntly Relief Committee, laid before a meeting of the committee to-day the result of his investigations, made on behalf of •the committee.

The secretary of the Huntly Mining Disaster Belief Committee submitted a statement to him showing about '£8500 available for bestowing relief; The committee at Huntly waa at present paying £32 10s weekly. Reduced payments were made to those receiving benefits under the Widows' Pensions Act. "l ■He waa jiiso shown a letter to the Publlte Trustee, whereiu the committee expres'a- ; ed its willingness ( that " '• the -fulict should be admirtistered. by the Public Trustee on certain conditions. The Public Trustee had replied stating hiswillingness to take over tho acbhrnistration of the fund on the conditions named.

Referring to his personal investigations, Mr Holland said he moat closely inquired into property owned by beneficiaries, and found that one woman possessed two houses, which she had let, the 'total capital value being £540. Another had two houses, the total capital value being £5940. A. third had two houses of a total capital value of £470. v She lived m one as a widow, but at the time of his visit was receiving nothing from the other. Two widows possessed farms, one m Huntly West and one. m North. Auckland, which carried 30 cows. In the last-mentioned case the farm was mortgaged for £600. The, value of the equity was unknoWn to Mr Holland, and ho was unable to say if the other properties mentioned were mortgaged. Another widow had a'farrh m Tauptri. The house m which one widow lived was insured for £385. Two widows had accepted compensation from tho company, one receiving £500 and the other £650. There remained 27 who had issued writs against "the company, each claiming £1500. He found that 15s per week and 5s weekly for each child had been paid already from the Telief fund, m addition to £50 from the Miners 1 Fund, £50 for funeral expenses, and £10 from the Medical Union. Tt was never denied by anyone m Huntly thai expensive tbmbstones had been provided by the widows, and the average cost bad been between £25 and £30. Some cost very much more. Mr Holland stated that he told' the ■chairman of the committee at Huntly that he would advise the Christchurch commiM.ee to keep its money m its hands on deposit till the compensation cases were settled. • -

After a short discussion, it was resolved that the funds m the hands of the Christchurch Committee remain on deposit until the committee is satisfied that thr conditions under which the Public Trustee bad accepted administration had been incorporated m a deed of trust. Then the money is to be paid over to the Public Trustee.

It wa3 reported tha<t the funds m the hands of the Christchurcn Committee totalled £1055.