a—6

7

was 29-80, which is about the average reading for the year. There was a considerable fresh in the Grey River on the morning of the 26th March, and a moderate south-east gale was blowing. The weather was fine and the temperature about 60°. Coroner's Inquest. 19. With respect to the fourth question referred to us, we find that a Coroner's inquest has been commenced, but has been adjourned for the unusually long period of two months. Touching the constitution of this tribunal, it appears from the statement of the Coroner (Mr. Stratford), that he first caused the Brunner constable to select twelve jurors, from whom he selected six, and then issued a precept to the constable at Brunnerton directing him to summon those particular individuals. " The Coal-mines Act, 1891," directs that when an inquest has been rendered necessary by an accident in a coal-mine, one half of the jury summoned shall be coal-miners. None of the jurors selected by Mr. Stratford were coal-miners ; but he stated that none were accessible excepting miners employed in the Brunnerton Mine, and those who came to aid in rescuing the victims of the explosion there. On the other hand, Inspector McGovern and Constable Beattie, who was directed to summon the jurors, stated that there are a number of coal-miners, formerly employed in the Brunner Mine, now residing at or near Brunnerton, who might have been summoned as jurors. It is to be regretted that the Coroner did not, according to the usual practice, direct his precept to the constable and leave him to summon the jury, as in that case the above-cited proviso of the Coal-mines Act would probably have been complied with. Explosives. 20. With reference to certain points to which our attention is specially directed, we have to report: That the only explosive used in the mine was blasting-powder, and that the usual precautions were being taken for its safe use within the mine at the time of the explosion ; that each party of two men working in a place were allowed to take into the mine one cannister containing 41b. of blasting-powder, which is the amount that may be required for one day's work ; that the store of powder on the surface was kept by the company in a magazine, and sold only to miners in the above quantity. Lighting. 21. That the lighting of the mine was sufficient, being effected by miners' oil-lamps, which they used at their work, except on a few occasions when safety-lamps were ordered to be used in certain parts of the mine. When not rendered absolutely necessary by the presence of gas to use these safety-lamps, it is much less dangerous to the miners to use the naked lights, as they are better able with their help to avoid dangerous portions of the roof, the fall of which is a frequent source of accident in coal-mines. That with three exceptions, all the lights in use in the mine at the time of the accident were naked oil-lamps. The exceptions were in the third working-place on the fault-side of the eastern dip-working, where two locked Marsant safety-lamps were used by Brislane and Roberts, and the Davy safety-lamp which was used by the fireman, Morris, for the usual daily examination of the mine before the work begins. Morris was seen at half-past sin the morning, by the two men who were leaving the mine at that time, in the act of making his rounds. He was then passing into the western workings, which he was in the habit of examining first. His body was found in the eastern workings at the point indicated on the plan, but his Davy lamp, used for testing, was found at.a distance of 66ft. in another working-place, from which it may be fairly inferred that Morris was not engaged at the time in making any tests for the presence of gas, but was engaged in the ordinary work of the mine. Stoppings. 22. Owing to the soft nature of the floor of the mine and the hard nature of the roof, the ordinary wooden stoppings were not adopted, as the pressure caused the floor to rise and to disturb the efficiency of the stoppings. For some years past the permanent stoppings have been formed of what is termed "crib logging," consisting of two walls of heavy timber placed a certain distance apart and filled in with stones and dirt. The crib-log stoppings are thoroughly efficient under ordinary circumstances, but in the case of an explosion of the magnitude of that which occurred on the 26th March, no stoppings could be of much avail. The temporary stoppings used for distributing the air-currents throughout the mine are made of canvas and brattice-cloth. Rules under the Coal-mines Act. 23. That the general and special rules under the provisions of "The Coal-mines Act, 1891," are shown by the evidence to have been complied with, with a few trifling exceptions, which have no bearing on this inquiry, and that no additional rules were in force in the mine. Suggestions for the Better Working of Coal-mines. 24. The Commissioners regret that the time was not sufficient to enable them to go as fully as they would have liked into the question of making practical suggestions for the future working of this and other coal-mines, but, in view of further legislation on the subject, the following suggestions are respectfully submitted : — Government Inspector. —No Inspector should be appointed who has not had practical experience in a coal-mine; and as mine-inspectors are a check upon, and in that sense superior to, minemanagers, we hold the opinion that no man should be appointed a Coal-mine Inspector who has not qualified by examination and practice as a colliery-manager. We would suggest that there should be three Coal-mine Inspectors—one for the North Island, one for Westland and Nelson, and one for Canterbury, Otago, and Southland. The Inspector should be authorised to introduce at each coal-mine special rules as to —