STATE COAL MINES

Grey River Argus, 16 August 1934, Page 8

STATE COAL MINES

MANAGER’S REPORT Profits Shown (Special to Argus.) WELLINGTON, August 15. The State mines last year showed a profit in excess of £3OOO. The State Mines report refers to slack time due to lack of trade, stating it is 'On account of the increasing us e of electricity and oil, with economic conditions having a temporary effect on household trade. Liverpool Mine shows a reduction in output, also in the days worked, compared with the previous year. The days lost at the Liverpool Mine during the year through slackness of trade were 116. With an average daily output of 724 tons, this represents a loss o 86,104 tons; also a serious loss in the earnings of the employees. The reduction lias a serious effect on the cost of production, for all the time maintenance work has bo be attended to.

The coal iw'on from Liverpool colliery was 93,768 tons, a reduction of 5521 tons on the previous year. The gross output from the colliery since its inception was 2,5.10,462 tons. The expenditure for wages, stores, minetimben and compensation, together with subsidies on railway tickets and cost of fuel- on the works amounted to £64.642, compared with £69,486 in the previous year.

Coal hewers ’ average daily gross earning were £1 Ils lid at Liverpool Mine,, and after making deductions for explosives, the net return was £1 8s lid, an increase of 9d per day on the preceding year. James Mine gross output was 33,693 tons, and increase of 3712 tons on the previous year. The output of the mine since its inception was 387-532 tons. The expenditure for wages, stores, mine timber and compensation with cost of electric power and coal used on the works iwas £19,316. compared with £18.760 in the previous year. Tn addition £2055 2s lOd was expended on drilling and prospecting on the reserve between the Nine and Ten Mile Creeks. Deductions from coal hewers’ average dailv earnings (gross) were £1 9s 2d, and the net return was £1 2s sd, an increase of ,10d per day as compared -with the previous year.

The average daily mine otuput was 199 tons 7 cwt. and coal hewers’ average dailv output was 6 tons 14 cwt, compared with 194 tons 14 cwt and 6 tons 2 cwt respectively for the previous year. The total amount paid under the minimum wage clause during the year was £3 10-s 7d. This wonks out. to cost 0.03 d per ton.

The Superintendent, State Coal mines, Greymouth, Mr. I. A. James, in his annual report on the workings of the State Coal-mines for the year ended 31st March, 1934, stated. LIVERPOOL COLLIERY. Screened. Unscreened. Tons. ct. qr. Tons ct. qr. Shipped 935 13 0 18,288 4 0

Total 40,509 1 3 During the year the colliery worked on 126 days, being nine less than the previous year. The possible ’working days, excluding union holidays and pay Saturdays, were 273. The difference between the days worked and the possible working days are accounted for as follows: Lack of orders, Jl6; May Day 1; slip on railway 1; by-election 1; funeral, late Mr. IL E. Holland, M.P., 1; back Saturdays 27. In connection with coalwinning the average number of persons employed in and about the mine was 323, made up as follows: Underground—Coal hewers 101; deputies, shiftmen and truckers 135. On the surface —64 men and 23 boys. The coal-hewers’ average daily earnings (gross) were £l/11/11, and, after making deductions for stores (explosives), the net return was £l/8/11, an increase of 9d per day l when compared with the figures for the previous year. Daily Output. —The average daily mine output was 744 tons 4cwt. and the coal-hewers’ average daily output 7 tons 13cwt., as compared with 735 tons 9cwt. and 6 tons 19ewt. respectively for the previous year. During the year there were several minor accidents, but none of a serious nature. The total payments made under the provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act amounted to £3,032 10/10, as compared with £3,117/7- for the previous year. On the output produced this works out to a cost of 7.76 d. per ton. Underground Workings.—The output during the year was obtained from coal produced from the extraction of pillars, also from workings in the course of being developed. The proportion of the places worked was 60 per cent, in pillars, and 40 per cent, in developing-places. Development Work. —This consisted of extending workings to the dip and rise in the Anderson section. The extending of workings to the rise in the No. 8 bank, Kimbell east section, also the extending of workings to the rise in the No. 3 bank west and No. 4 bank east in the Morgan Seam. The Anderson dip heading continues to be extended in coal of excellent quality and Thickness, and from this heading levels are being driven right, and left. There is every possibility of a reasonably workable area to the dip in this locality, and with this object in view arrangements are being made to construct a new haulage heading. The gradient in the proposed new heading will not be as steep as in the present one, and there are also better facilities for making a. landing at the top to enable a larger output to be dealt with. The seam worked to the rise in this section is not of as good a quality as in the dip workings, it being soft and friable and accompanied with a bad roof. . In the Kimbell east section develop-

ment work is confined to the extending of rise workings in a block about 6 chains in width. The seam in this section varies from 4ft. to 9ft. in thickness, while the coal is of fairly good quality, with a hard sandstone roof. Development work in the No. 4 bank east of the Morgan Seam is practically completed, but the workings in the No. 3 bank west require to be extended a further 6 chains before the barrier between the Nos. 1 and 2 Mines is reached.

Pillar-extraefion. —Work in connection with the extraction of pillars continues to be carried out in a satisfactory manner. In the Morgan Seam, where pillars are being extracted, there is an excellent roof, and consequently it enables practically the complete extraction of all pillars to be made. In the Kimbell Seam conditions are not quite so good, the result being that a fair percentage of coal is lost, due, chiefly, to bad roof conditions and steep gradients. Heating.—ln November last incipient heating was noticed in the goaf of the No. 3 bank west section in the Kimbell Seam. As it was impossible to get near the seat of heating, a line of temporary stoppings, consisting of double boards with brattice-cloth between them, was erected to seal off the area.

A line of concrete stoppings was also built on the outby side of the temporary ones, thus ensuring that the area was effectively sealed off. In one of the stoppings there is a pipe, the inby end of which is in the heated area, and at the outby end there is a valve which can be opened from time to time to enable samples to be taken for analysis.

Stone-dusting.—Work under this head has been regularly carried out, and during the year 45 tons of stone dust was used. The number of samples analysed from the various zones at this colliery was 474. In addition to the latter, 156 samples were analysed from co-operative mines.

Plant and Machinery —The whole of the plant, machinery, and buildings in and about the mine have been maintained in good order and condition. During the year a good deal of repair work was carried out to the superstructure of the storage-bins, upwards of £l,OOO being spent on this work. As a result of the extensive repairs carried out to the storage-bins during the last two years, the building is now practically as good as new.

The only new building erected during the year was an office built of concrete near the entrance to the No. 2 Mine, replacing one that was completely destroyed through a slip off the hillside.

Considerable damage was done to the tracks and the banks of the Seven Mile Creek due to flooding during the month of December. A portion of the track between the Rewanui Station and the gorge tunnel for a distance of approximately 2 chains was completely washed away, necessitating the damaged part being bridged. The right-hand bank of the Seven Mile Creek, below where the middle brake power-house is situated, was also washed away for several chains by flooding. A considerable amount of work has been carried out to prevent further encroachment.

Exploratory Work.—The work done in this connection during the year on the State Coal Reserve between the Nine Mile and Ten Mile Creeks was comprised of the following: (a) The drilling of five holes by means of the diamond drilling-plant, the total depth drilled being ±,475ft. (b) The cutting of tracks for the transporting of the drilling plant. This woi% together with that of transporting the plant, was costly, owing to the surface being thickly wooded and in many places precipitous. (c.) The cutting and levelling of survey lines, together with the surface examination of exposed measures. (d) The constructing of a new track for travelling purposes along rhe banks of the Nine Mile Creek, extending from the main highway to as far as Kiwi Creek junction, also the erecting of a new camp near the track terminus.

Tn my previous report reference was made to the effect that boring operations were about to be commenced in Block B. In this block four holes have been drilled, but unfortunately only one seam exists in this area.

Along the line of outcrops from Bridge Creek eastward the second seam thins to an unworkable thickness.

From the results obtained by boring in Block B between the line of outcrops and the bed of the Nine Mile Creek it is apparent that the thinning of the second seam also extends in this direction. On the completion or drilling operations on Block B, the drilling plant was transported a distance of approximately 70 chains over rugged country and another hole drilled in Block A 84 chains downstream from Bore No. 5.

The plant is now being transported over the ridge between the Nine Mile and Kiwi Creeks, with the object of drilling one or possibly two holes in the Kiwi Creek valley. This should complete drilling operations on this portion of the reserve, and the plant will be brought out via the new track mentioned in paragraph (d). From this report it will be seen that prospecting work is fast nearing completion, and it is pleasing to report that the results obtained fully justify the amount expended on this work. The work, no doubt, has been costly, but this can be attributed to the rug ged nature of the country which made the transporting of the plant arduous and difficult. JAMES COLLIERY. Screened. Unscreneed and Nuts.

previous year. The possible working days, excluding union holidays and pay Saturdays, were 273. The difference tween those worked and the possible working-days is accounted for as follows: Lack of orders, 74; May Day 1; by-election 1; funeral, late Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P. 1; back Saturdays 27. In connection with coal-winning, the average number of persons employed in and about the mine was 85, made up as follows; Underground—Coal-hew-ers, 31; deputies, shiftmen and truckers 30. On the surface—l 7 men and 7 boys. In addition to those employed on coal winning there was on an average 8 men employed on boring and prospecting work, making a total of 86 men and 7 boys.

The total expenditure in connection with coal-winning for wages, stores, mine timber and compensation, together with cost of electric power and coal used on works, amounted. to £19,316/1/3, as compared with £18,760 5/3 for the previous year. In addition. to the amount expended on coalwinning £2,055/4/10 was expended on drilling and prospecting on the reserve between the Nine and Ten Mile Creeks.

Coal-hewers’ Average Daily Earnings.—The coal-hewers’ average daily earnings (gross) were £l/9/2, and, after deducting stores (explosives), the net return was £l/2/5, an increase of JOd per day when compared with the previous year. The average daily mine output was 199 tons 7 cwt., and the coal-hewers’ average daily output was 6 tons 14cwt., as compared with 194 tons 14 cwt. and 6 tons 2 cwt. respectively for the previous year. The total amount paid under the minimum wage clause during the year was £3 10/7. This works out to a cost of 0.03 d. per ton. Accidents.—During the year there were a few minor accidents, but none were of a serious nature. The total payments made under the provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act amounted to £204/7/5. Ou the output produced this works out to a cost of 1.45 d. per ton. Underground Workings.—The bulk of the output was obtained from the extraction of pillars from the west and south level sections, the balance being made up from coal won from solid workings in the cross-cut dip section and the driving of a new dip heading. Solid work in the cross-cut dip section is practically completed, and a commencement has been made to extract some of the pillars. Surface conditions will not permit the complete extraction of all pillars from this section; it therefore means that several of them will be merely split into small blocks, the latter being left to support the roof under the creeks overhead. The new dip heading in the cross-cut section has been driven a distance of 5 chains. During the first 3 chains of driving the coal was unmarketable, and consequently had to be dumped. From there onwards the seam gradually improved, and at the present time there is upwards of Bft. of clean, hard coal at the face.

The work of pillar-extraction in the west section is fast nearing completion, ancT concrete stoppings are being built to completely seal off the pillared area.

Stone dusting.—Work under this head has been regularly carried out, and during the year 4 tons of stone dust were used for this purpose, and 101 samples taken from the various zones in the mine were analysed. Plant and Machinery.— The whole of the plant, machinery and buildings in and about the mine have been maintained in good order and condition. During tEe year a new tramway for the supply of mining-timber was constructed from near the entrance to the mine. This tramway, which is 14 chains in length, greatly facilitates the handling of mining-timber. In common with other collieries, the State Collieries have suffered during the year through slackness of trade. This slackness may be attributed to the increasing use of electricity and oil, together with the present economic conditions having a temporary effect on the household trade.

Although there was a slight increase in the output, also in the number of days worked at the James Mine, the Liverpool Colliery shows a reduction in output, also in the number of days worked when compared with the previous year. The number of days lost at the Liverpool Colliery during the year through slackness of trade was 116. Taking the latter figure with the average daily output of 744 tons, this represents a loss in output of 86,304 tons, also a serious loss in the earnings of the employees. The reduction in the Working-time has also a serious effect on the general average cost of production, for it must be noted that maintenance work has to be attended to whether the mines work full time or otherwise.

Bailed to Canterbury 18,451 3 5,838 13 0 Local sales 2,935 9 3 272 If) 1 Totals 22,598 10 2 35,483 15 1 Small. Tons. ct. qr. Shipped Bailed to Can22,651 1 0 terbury 14,079 18 Local Sales 3,062 10 2

Shipped . . Rail to Can' terbury Local sales Tons ct. qr. 0 Tons ct. qr. 11,650 0 2,721 0 1,127 11 0 1 0 1 7,141 18 100 11 Totals 18,983 17 Small 0 5,595 2 3 Slack. Tons ct. qr. Tons ct. qr. Shipped Rail to '32 2 0 4,1-18 4 0 Canterbury Local sales 994 2 1 377 0 21 2 1 1 Totals 1,026 4 1 10,640 8 3 The mine during the year worked on 169 days, being 15 days more than the