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13. Mr. Skellon.]. Is it the general custom to measure the air at every inspection ?—Not every inspection. 14. Why not ?—At times I might be in the district for another purpose and not have my anemometer with me. 15. Could you not have got Mr. Bishop's ?—lt was not customary to measure every time. I did it on the 27th November, so that was comparatively recent. 16. Is it not the main thing in working mines to get good ventilation ? —lt was so strong when I measured it in November that it was quite clear that there was more than the quantity required. I can say that as an expert. 17. Sir J. Hector.] What was the coal like in that part of the mine they were stripping part of the pillars off ? Was it hard coal or crumbling ?—There was no sign of crushing. That is all I can say. There was nothing very striking. 18. Was any part of the dip-workings abandoned at the time?— Yes; the prospecting drive here [indicating on plan] had been abandoned. 19. Was the air kept driven to the end of the prospecting drive, or is there a stop there ? —lt was abandoned; I cannot swear it was blocked off. I understand it was being allowed to fill up with water. 20. How far was the water up ?—I cannot tell. Mr. Bishop will be able to speak about that. These places [above the bottom level on the west side] were not working. 21. When were you last in them ?—lt is a considerable time ; they had not been working for a long time. 22. Sir J. Hector.] —What was the thickness of the seam there?—l did not measure it at that time ; 7ft. had been cut out. 23. How were they taking it out —by blasting or holing ? —They were working in the ordinary way —holing and blasting. I cannot from memory say that I saw any blasting going on that day. 24. What do they blast with ?—Blasting-powder in cartridges. 25. How is that part of the mine ventilated? Did you test the air?—l should like to refer to my notes. 26. Yes. Were these written in the mine, or after you came out? —I think in the mine. I will read the note : " Brunner Mine, 16/1/96. —Dip-workings.—Came down dip, and in mid-level, 17 chains down from top of brow, banks 10, 7, 6, and 5 working, taking out pillars. Twelve places and twenty-six miners in all: only one shift. Mr. Roberts, acting-manager, appointed in writing. Some loose pieces on roof and sides, to which I drew attention, as well as to setting of some of the timber, are to be at once attended to. No gas seen in pillar-workings; air good. Only four fast places working, and these are about 28 chains from the top of the brow—east side ; the lowest bord is in about 6 chains, and the face is so stony that it has been stopped for a fortnight. The bord above is further ahead without meeting any stone. Air sufficient. A second shift of two men working in No. 5 incline." These are all the things I have in regard to that inspection. 27. Which of the bords was it you found any stone in ?—The bottom one farthest to the dip. 28. Were they blocked off or included in the circulation ?—The return air was taken through them up the mid-level. 29. You observed all this?— Yes; the air was split, and one section was taken in at the midlevel. One split was taken round on the east side of the main incline, and it was brought round the west side up the bottom level and taken through an undercast —that is, the vitiated air from the. east side was taken through the undercast, so that it should not meet the fresh air on the west side in returning. The other split came in on the west side, passing over the undercast and around the pillar-workings. 30. What size was the air-passages at the place they crossed?— They were simply driven underneath the level. 31. In the floor or further down?—-No. It was silver-pine frames, strong enough for a horse to go over—wooden flooring—a simple wooden undercast put into the mid-level. It had stood the test of the explosion. 32. From there what became of it?— The two currents came up the back incline and out the return [indicated]. 33. Is this part of the mine [indicated] above or below water-level ?—All below. 34. Is this part—the goaf—ventilated ?—That was exhausted, the pillars were drawn. 35. Has the roof sunk completely down ?—lt has gone there [indicated]. 36. Was that cut off from the rest of the mine ? —There is no occasion to cut it off. 37. Then that part of the mine is not visited by any one now ?—All this part is not [indicated]. 38. How long is it since that part of the mine was abandoned ?—I cannot speak from memory. 37. Is it many years? —A year or two. 40. Has any provision been made for cutting off an abandoned part of the mine from the active live workings ?—Not so far as lam aware; any gas coming from that part would not get near any working-part of the mine. 41. Supposing gas was going anywhere else would it accumulate ?—Not according to natural law ; it would take the shortest way out. 42. Mr. Proud.] Did you examine the edges of the goaf?—l regularly examined the edges of the goaf. 42a. At the last inspection ?—Yes. 43. Mr. Skellon.] On the 16th January you only examined the working-places on that side ?— Yes ; but there were pillar-workings there, and I examined the edges of the goaf or any suspicious place where I thought it was likely to be wrong. [Witness explained from the map how the air would carry out any deleterious gases without harming any of the men.] 44. Sir J. Hector.] What other plan have you ?—The tracing that Mr. Bishop has to send to me half-yearly showing the progress of the works. [Exhibit No. 6, statutory tracing by minemanager, showing progress of works up to September, 1895, put in.]