OUR. COALMINES.

Colonist, Volume XXV, Issue 2932, 13 August 1881, Page 4

OUR. COALMINES.

TjAST year, 416,200 ton a of coal were I consumed,in JNew Zealand, and of this quantity ,'292,902' tons .were raised in this Colony, wnile 123,298 tons W.ere % imported. ..^The total output from .the mines in the Colony.was 299,923 tons,' but out of this quantity. 7,021 tons' .were exported. Two years ago, we. imported 174,148 tons, which,: when compared with last year's imports Bhows a decrease of 50,850 tons.; In the meanwhile the coal raised from the Kew Zealand mines was 137,705 itpns' in excess of the total output; for t.lTe year 1878. There are one hundred and six coalmines in this Colony, all but six being in this Island.; Kixty--Bix of the mines are virtually closed, and only tweuty-nine are really being worked at present. Laßt year, twentytwo accidents occurred in our mines, two of them being fatal ones, the deathrate being one person killed ior about one hundred and fifty thousand tons of coal raised. The principal outputs last year were— . ; ■, • - ■

Kawakawo (Auckland)...',.. -54,865 ton's , ■Shag Point (Qtago) ......... 36,066 .tdna , Bnmner (the Grey) ~ 32,505 tons Walton Park (Otago) .„../• 19,370 tons ■Wuikato, Huntley (Auokl'd) 15,849 tODS Taupiri, ditto, (ditto) ... 14,817 tons - Kaitangata (Otago) ;.., 15,830 tons ;

Coal Pit Heath (the Grey). •14,330,t0n8

Eaitangata No 1 (Otago),.. 10,799 tons ;; The Shag- Point mine employs the largest number of hands, '150.; the Kawakawa being second with 140 men.