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to either the Sick and Accident Fund or Coal-miners' Relief Fund; but Mr. Richmond, who represents the company, promised that a contribution of one farthing per ton would be paid on output between the dates mentioned, which will amount to £1 2s. 4d. Co-operative Mine. —There is no work being carried on in this mine. The Co-operative Company is said to be in liquidation. Two openings have been made into the hill, one about one mile further up the river than the Mokau Mine, and one on the opposite side of the river from the said mine. As there was no one about the mine, and all workings had been suspended for some time, and having no safety-lamp with me, I could not inspect these workings, but from information supplied me, there will have to be strict supervision if ever these workings be opened again. During last year there was an output of 940 tons. At the time when the workings were carried on there were about twenty-eight men employed. Black Ball Mine. —This company has constructed an adit-level for 1,340 ft., its dimensions being 9ft. wide by 6ft. 6in. in height. The adit is carried for about 100 ft. in the coal, which is about 12ft. in thickness. There was no work at this mine at the time of my visit in December last, but since then a company has been formed in London to work it. The adit-level is well constructed and timbered, and the coal is of the finest quality in the colony. As soon as a connection is made to get the coal to the railway at Nelson Creek this will be a valuable property. I have, &c, Hbnby A. Goedon, M. A.Inst. M.E., Inspector of Mines. The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington.

No. 2. Mr. G. Wilson, Inspector of Mines, to the Undee-Secbetaey of Mines, Wellington. Sic, —■ Inspector of Mines Office, Thames, Ist April, 1892. I have the honour to transmit to the Hon. the Minister of Mines the following report on coal-mines in the Auckland district made in compliance with section 67 of " The Coal-mines Act, 1891":— Kawakawa Distbict. 1. Kawakawa Mine.- —The workings in this mine during last year have been chiefly of the same nature as in the previous year—taking out pillars towards the entrance to the incline. The quantity of coal available in this part of the mine is estimated to be sufficient to last for another three months. The manager intends, however, to sink a shaft on the hill, under which a considerable quantity of coal is said to have been left when that part of the mine was worked many years ago. IE the quantity of coal left there is of any great extent, it may be sufficient to enable the manager to continue the output of coal during the whole of the present year. As the workings were chiefly towards the outcrop, it was found unnecessary to continue pumping operations, and the pumps are therefore to be drawn and the whole of the machinery removed from the shaft. The work of taking out the pillars has been very carefully carried out under the supervision of Mr. Swinbanks, the deputy. The report-books are well kept and the provisions of the Act complied with. There are twenty-nine men and five youths employed below ground and twenty-seven men on the surface,, including those employed in connection with the haulage, timber-getters, engineers, engine-drivers, and the manager : total, sixty-one. The output for the year was 28,254 tons. HIKUEANGI DISTEICT. 2. West Bryans Mine. —This mine is worked by the owner, Mr. Charles Smith. The chief portion of the support has been household coal. The distance to the Kamo Railway-station and the cost of carriage have prevented any great quantity being used for steam purposes. The mine is safely worked, four men being employed. A copy of the plan of the workings has been received by me as provided in section 45 of " The Coal-mines Act, 1891." The total output for the year was 576 tons. 3. Walton and Graham's Mine. —This mine has not been worked during the year. Whangabei Dibteict. 4. Kamo Mine. —The workings in this mine were carried on on No. 2 seam, but work was, however, suspended on the 21st September in consequence of a creep. This creep or land-weight pressure commenced on No. 2. seam, between the incline and the air-shaft, and covers, as far as can be estimated, an area of about 750 ft. by 500 ft. The chief falls and crushes took place where the No. 1 and No. 2 seams had both been worked. The average depth between those seams is about 25ft., composed of fireclay and sandstone, sometime of a soft nature and a varying thickness of each. The old workings on the No. 2 seam were irregular, the bords being 10ft. in width, and the pillars 33ft. by 27ft., 35ft. by 30ft., 35ft. by 34ft., 37ft. by 41ft,, 33ft. by 25ft., 26ft. by 25ft., 27ft. by 30ft., 40ft. by 35ft., and 42ft. by 35ft., extending over the area of the creep. The workings on No. 1 seam over the same area were also irregular, but the pillars were much larger; the bords were lift, in width, and the pillars 63ft. by 52ft., 80ft. by 60ft., 80ft. by 50ft., 85ft. by 50ft., 65ft. by 40ft., 55ft. by 45ft., 53ft. by 43ft., 47ft. by 43ft., and 60ft. by 42ft. The depth from the surface is about 200 ft., and the roof over the coal is in most cases of a firm nature ; green and mottled sandstones for about half the distance, the remainder of the cover from the sandstone to the surface is of such a nature as to give very little support, and the subsidence is shown by cracks on the surface. The coal in both seams is of a tender nature and the pillars were crushed, so that the whole of the workings was filled up. The subsidence will have no great effect in depression on the surface, as not more than one-fourth of the coal in both seams has been removed, which would leave only about 4ft. of space to be filled up. The manager is of opinion that the whole area

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