Wasteful Methods

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 11, 24 December 1925, Page 5

Wasteful Methods

IN COAL MINE WORKINC,

EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMISSION

(Received 24, 11.40 a.m.) Sydney, Dec. 24

The Royal Commission inquiring into the safe working of coal mines considered the loss of coal which the present-day methods of mining were responsible for. Evidence was submitted showing that sealing off meant a serious loss of coal, and existing conditions of work were opposed to the successful extraction of pillars, and, unless radical change in the methods was adopted, a groat loss was inevitable. It appeared that only by the flushing method could reasonable, extraction be expected. At the Humber collieries much coal would be lost owing to the barriers loft between the various mines, coal under railways and villages, and, in many cases, barriers two chains wide were left on each side of the boundary lines. Taking a seam twelve feet thick this meant between 600,000 and 700,000 tons of coal per mile, which in the case of the Maitland mines would amount to millions of tons. In one area six million tons wore involved. It was suggested that a board of throe mining engineers should be appointed to supervise the working of such materials.