May 21.

23. (1.) All moneys withdrawn from the said account shall be paid and applied as follows: When any workman has been off work through an accident he shall receive payment at the rate of 2s. 1d. for every day except Sundays from the date of the accident, such payment to be made on the certificate of a medical officer, and to continue so long as such medical officer and the trustees certify that the workman is unable to work by reason of the accident; but in no case for a longer period than two years.

In addition to the foregoing benefit, a workman who is permanently totally disabled shall be granted a sum of £50, and a workman who is permanently partially disabled may be granted such proportionate part of £50, in accordance with the Second Schedule to the Workers' Compensation Act, 1922.

(2.) Any workman who meets with an accident which disables him from work shall send, or cause to be sent, within seven days of such accident occurring, a notice in writing, together with a copy of the medical officer's certificate, to the Inspector of Mines; and all applications for relief must be made within fourteen days from the date of the accident, or the claim cannot be entertained.

(3.) Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, the trustees administering a Sick and Accident Fund may, on the recommendation of the Inspector, pay to any coal-miner who, through any injury sustained in the course of his employment as a coal-miner, is permanently totally incapacitated from work of any kind, such weekly allowance as may from time to time, subject to such conditions as he may impose, bc authorized by the Minister.

24. No workman shall be entitled to relief from the Sick and Accident Fund for any accident caused by drinking intoxicating liquors, fighting, or any kind of athletic sports or game of amusement, or for any accident caused by the misconduct of such workman.

25. (1.) For each quarterly period ending 31st March, 30th June, 30th September, and 31st December in each year returns shall be furnished by the trustees to the Minister of Mines, showing the several amounts paid into the said account and the particulars of all withdrawals and disbursements therefrom during such quarter.

(2.) Every such return shall be so forwarded within ten days after the expiration of the quarterly period to which it relates, and shall be verified by the statutory declaration of the president or other chief officer of the association.

26. The trustees shall keep proper books of account, showing the various items of receipts and expenditure in relation to the said account; and such books shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of any Inspector of Mines, or any other officer duly authorized by the Minister of Mines in that behalf, who may take such extracts therefrom as he may require.

27. Where a miners’ association is in existence an allowance of not exceeding 5 per cent. may be made as a contribution towards the expense of management of the fund.

28. If in any case the trustees or any of them wilfully commit a breach of any of these regulations, or misspend or misappropriate any of the moneys standing to the credit of, or withdrawn from, the said account, then the Minister of Mines, on proof of the fact, by notice to the Chief Postmaster of the district, may prohibit any further dealing with such account by the said trustees or any of them, and may remove the offending trustee or trustees from office; and any moneys so misappropriated may be recovered in the name of the Minister of Mines as a debt due to His Majesty the King.

29. In case of removal of the trustees or any of them from office as last aforesaid, the Minister shall, by writing, forthwith request the miners’ association of the district to appoint some other person or persons to fill the vacancy, and if such association neglects so to do for the space of fourteen days after service of such written request, then the Minister may appoint a trustee or trustees to fill such vacancy; and such trustee or trustees, when so appointed, shall have and may exercise all the powers of the original trustee or trustees with respect to the said account.

COAL-MINERS' RELIEF FUND.

30. (1.) In any district where there is no miners’ association the Public Trustee shall, on receipt of a certificate from a duly qualified medical officer, and also on the certificate from an Inspector of Mines, apply the moneys deposited to the credit of the Coal-miners’ Relief Fund as follows: When any workman has been off work through an accident he shall receive payment at the rate of 2s. 1d. for every day except Sundays from the date of the accident, which payment shall continue so long as such medical officer and Inspector of Mines certify that the workman is unable to work; but in no case for a longer period than two years; but when an accident occurs in any mine situate in a locality remote from settlement, where the services of a medical officer are not procurable, payment at the prescribed rate may be made for any period

not exceeding thirty days from the date of the accident on the certificate of the Inspector of Mines alone.

In addition to the foregoing benefit a workman who is permanently totally disabled shall be granted a sum of £50, and a workman who is permanently partially disabled may be granted such proportionate part of £50 in accordance with the Second Schedule to the Workers’ Compensation Act, 1922.

(2.) Any workman who meets with an accident which disables him from work shall send, or cause to be sent, within seven days of such accident occurring, a notice in writing, and, except in the case mentioned in subclause (1) of this clause, a copy of the medical officer’s certificate to the Inspector of Mines; and all applications for relief must be made within fourteen days from the date of the accident, or the claim cannot be entertained. The Public Trustee is, however, authorized to pay any claims notwithstanding the failure to give such notice, provided he is satisfied that the failure was through no fault of the injured person.

(3.) Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, the Public Trustee may, on the recommendation of the Inspector, pay to any coal-miner who, through any injury sustained in the course of his employment as a coal-miner, is permanently totally incapacitated from work of any kind, such weekly allowance as may from time to time, subject to such conditions as he may impose, be authorized by the Minister.

(4.) An allowance not exceeding 5 per cent. may be made as a contribution towards the expense of managing and administering the fund.

31. No workman shall be entitled to relief from the Coal-miners’ Relief Fund for any accident caused by drinking intoxicating liquors, fighting, or any kind of athletic sports or game of amusement, or for any accident caused by the misconduct of such workman.

COAL-MINERS' MEDICAL CLUB.

32. For the purpose of the said Act the association for a district, or any other association approved by the Minister, may form a Medical Club for the district by passing a resolution to that effect at a special meeting called for the purpose, and thereafter confirming such resolution by a ballot taken of all workmen employed in or about the mine or mines concerned. Notice in writing of the formation of the club shall be at once given by the Secretary of the association to the coal-mine owners within such district. Upon the formation of such club the Coal-miners’ Medical Fund for the district shall be deemed to be established.

33. In addition to giving such notice in writing the Secretary of the association shall notify the coal-mine owners of the name of the said club and the name and address of the Secretary of the club, also the names of the persons appointed by the club to act as trustees to operate on the moneys paid into the Medical Fund (hereinafter referred to as “the said fund”).

34. Every Medical Club shall be registered under the Friendly Societies Act, 1909.

35. The amount to be paid per week to the said fund by each member of the Medical Club of any district shall be from time to time fixed in the rules of the club, and the Secretary shall from time to time notify the owner of every coal-mine in the district of the sum per week which is to be collected and deducted from the wages payable by him to every person employed in, upon, or about his coal-mine.

36. No money shall be withdrawn from the said fund until the Medical Club of the district has appointed at least two persons as trustees of the said fund, and has given to the Chief Postmaster of the district and to the Minister of Mines written notice of such appointment, and of the acceptance of such trusteeship by the person so appointed.

37. When any change takes place in the office of trustee, either by death, resignation, removal, or otherwise, similar notices shall at once be given by the said club.

38. (1.) For each year ending 31st March a return shall be furnished by the trustees to the Minister of Mines, showing the several amounts paid into the said fund, and the particulars of all withdrawals and disbursements therefrom during such period, together with such information as the Minister of Mines may require.

(2.) Every such return shall be so forwarded within ten days after the expiration of the yearly period to which it relates, and shall, if required by the Minister of Mines, be verified by the statutory declaration of the trustees.

39. The trustees shall keep proper books of account, showing the various items of receipts and expenditure in relation to the said fund; and such books shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of any Inspector of Mines or other officer duly authorized by the Minister in that behalf, who may take such extracts therefrom as he may require.