866
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 20

or the term of years of the loan was or was not specified or determined, and such money or any part thereof has not been borrowed, the local authority may, with the precedent consent of the Minister of Finance, borrow such money, or such amount thereof as has not been borrowed, at such rate of interest, or for such term, as may be prescribed by the Governor-General by Order in Council :

And whereas the Waipukurau Borough Council has been authorized to borrow the sum of twenty-two thousand six hundred and twenty pounds for the installation of a sanitary drainage system, and is now desirous of borrowing an additional sum of two thousand two hundred and sixty pounds under the authority of section eighteen of the Local Bodies’ Loans Act, 1913, for the purpose of completing the undertaking :

And whereas the Minister of Finance has given his precedent consent as required by the above-recited section eleven, and it is desired that the rate of interest at which the money may be borrowed be not exceeding six per centum per annum :

Now, therefore, His Excellency the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand, in pursuance and exercise of the power and authority vested in him as aforesaid, and acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Dominion, doth hereby prescribe that the rate of interest that may be paid by the Waipukurau Borough Council in respect of the said loan of two thousand two hundred and sixty pounds shall be a rate not exceeding six per centum per annum, and the said Waipukurau Borough Council is hereby authorized to borrow the said sum of two thousand two hundred and sixty pounds accordingly.

F. D. THOMSON,
Clerk of the Executive Council.

Regulations respecting the Coal-miners’ Relief Fund under the Coal-mines Act, 1925.

CHARLES FERGUSSON, Governor-General.

ORDER IN COUNCIL.

At the Government Buildings at Wellington, this 30th day of March, 1926.

Present :

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE J. G. COATES, P.C., PRESIDING IN COUNCIL.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers conferred on him by the Coal-mines Act, 1925 (hereinafter referred to as “the said Act”), His Excellency the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand, acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Dominion, doth hereby make the following regulations; and doth hereby declare that the regulations hereby made shall come into force on the date of the publication thereof in the New Zealand Gazette.

REGULATIONS.

COAL-MINERS’ RELIEF FUND.

1. THE commission payable to the Public Trustee for managing and administering the Coal-miners’ Relief Fund shall be at the rate of 1 per cent. of the total contributions to the fund in each year.

Coal-miners Relief Fund Local Committees.

2. Each Coal-miners’ Relief Fund Local Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Local Committee) shall consist of not less than three members elected from workmen employed in or about a coal-mine or coal-mines. For the purpose of electing members, votes shall be taken by a show of hands at a meeting of the workmen entitled to vote, of which not less than three days’ notice shall be given by a notice posted at the pit-head of each mine concerned, specifying the time and place of meeting. A certificate stating the result of the voting and signed by the person presiding at such meeting shall be forthwith forwarded through the Inspector of Mines to the Public Trustee. In the event of a member of the Local Committee resigning or becoming unable or unfit to hold office from any cause whatever, the remaining members, if less than three in number, shall, within seven days, call a special meeting for the election of a new member. Any changes in the personnel of a Local Committee shall be immediately communicated through the Inspector of Mines to the Public Trustee.

3. Each Local Committee shall nominate two persons, who shall be approved of by the Minister, to act as trustees for the purpose of opening and operating upon a branch account of the Coal-miners’ Relief Fund kept at the nearest post-office money-order and savings-bank. The trustees shall notify the Minister in writing of their acceptance of the office of trustee,

4. In the event of any trustee resigning or becoming unable or unfit to hold office from any cause whatever, the Local Committee shall forthwith notify the Postmaster, and apply to the Minister for authority to appoint another person to act in the place of the trustee vacating office.

5. Coal-miners’ Relief Fund moneys only shall be kept in the branch account at the post-office money-order and savings-bank.

6. No sum exceeding £20 in amount shall be withdrawn from the said account without the prior written authority of the Public Trustee, to whom application shall be made by the Local Committee. The application shall be supported by a medical certificate and forwarded through the Inspector of Mines, who will certify whether or not the claim is in order.

7. All moneys withdrawn from the said account shall be paid and applied as follows: When any workman has been off work through an injury whilst employed in or about a mine, 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 said injury; but in no case for a longer period than two years.

8. In addition to the foregoing benefit, a workman who is permanently totally disabled as the result of an injury whilst employed in or about a mine shall be granted a sum of £50, and a workman who is permanently partially disabled may be granted a proportionate part of £50, based on the degree of disability prescribed by the Second Schedule to the Workers’ Compensation Act, 1922.

9. Any workman who meets with an injury in or about a mine which disables him from work shall send, or cause to be sent, within seven days of such injury 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 of the accident, or the claim cannot be entertained, unless specially authorized by the Public Trustee.

10. Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, the trustees 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.

11. 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.

12. For each quarterly period ending 31st March, 30th June, 30th September, and 31st December in each year returns shall be forwarded by the trustees to the Inspector of Mines for the information of the Public Trustee, showing the several amounts paid into the said account and the particulars of all withdrawals and disbursements therefrom during such quarter.

13. Every such return shall be so forwarded within ten days after the expiration of the quarterly period to which it relates, and shall be certified as correct by the Chairman or other chief officer or officers of the local committee. The quarterly return shall be supported by receipted vouchers for all amounts in excess of 5s. paid by way of relief and administration expenses.

14. The trustees shall keep proper books of accounts, showing the various items of receipt 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 officer duly authorized by the Public Trustee in that behalf, who may take such extracts therefrom as he may require.

15. Receipts shall be obtained by the trustees for all relief payments and for all other disbursements in excess of 5s. The Local Committee may claim an allowance not exceeding 5 per cent. of all disbursements as a contribution towards the expense of management of the fund.

16. If in any case the trustees or any of them wilfully commit a breach of any of these regulations, or misspend or missappropriate 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 missappropriated may be recovered in the name of the Minister of Mines as a debt due to His Majesty the King.

17. In case of removal of the trustees or any of them from office as last aforesaid the Minister shall, by writing, forthwith request the Local Committee to appoint with his approval some other person or persons to fill the vacancy, and if such