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43

The opening-up of the mine has been from profit. W T e paid 10 per cent, the first year, and continuously since. lam the second largest shareholder. The company spent all its paid-up capital in the purchase of freehold land. We have no reserve fund, and the cost of opening up the mine has been borne by the profits derived from the sale of the coal. We are paying 2s. 6d. per ton haulage for about sixteen miles on the railway, which is really excessive. We are paying to the Government on an average from £110 to £120 a week for traction. 43. You do not screen your coal? —No. We send away a certain quantity of screened coal for local household purposes at Whangarei. I think it is a mistake to screen the coal. 44. What proportion of the coal do you lose in that way?—We get the same price for small coal as for large. 45. Have you any beds of fireclay you could utilise ?—Yes, very extensive beds. Hitherto our company has been confined to the coal-mining business, but in the near future we intend to develop the fireclay beds. We have one bed of fireclay 27 ft. thick. That is immediately under the coal. I never saw such a thick seam cf fireclay anywhere before, and it is really good. During this summer I am going to build a kiln and experiment with this clay, in order to ascertain whether I can produce a first-class ornamental fireclay brick for building purposes, and I believe I shall be able to produce it at a fraction over the price for ordinary bricks. During the whole of my career as manager—three years in South Wales and thirty-seven-years in Australasia —I have never had one fatal accident. This is a grand record. John Swinbanks, Underviewer, examined. 1. The Chairman.} You are underground manager of the Hikurangi Coal Company's mine?— Yes. 2. How long have you had charge of the mine? —Four years when February comes. 3. You have been mining for how many years ?—I had charge of Kawakawa about twentythree years. 4. You have been mining, I understand, something like fifty or sixty years?—l went into the coal-mines in 1837, when about eleven years of age. lam now seventy-four. 5. Mr. Lomas.} It is part of your duty to visit the mine before the men go to work ?—Yes. 6. How do you inspect it ?—With a Davy lamp; but there is no reason for it. 7. You make a general examination of the mine ?—Yes. 8. How far, approximately, do they truck the coal down the rise bords ?—From nothing to 100 yards. 9. Have you any doors in those bords ? —No ; just one at the bottoms. That is only canvas. 10. What is the angle of those rise bords? —It may be 1 in 12, or something like that—some more and some less. I should say it would average something like that. 11. Have the men to spragg all the wheels in bringing trucks down?— Most of them. 12. Do you consider there is any danger to men coming down with trucks while the pony-race is going past the bottom of the bord? —No; the driver who drives the horse stops till they pass. 13. Do you consider that one drop-sheet is sufficient to insure the air going up to the workingplaces ?—I do. 14. Is that your experience in the Old Country where there is only one drop-sheet?— Yes. 15. Have you ever seen any gas at all in the mine ?—Not this mine 16. And never heard of any there ?—No. 17. Is the inspection by the Government Inspector regular and satisfactory?— About once in six months, I think. Mr. Coutts was here two or three months ago with the new Chief Inspector, Mr. Hayes. 18. Have you any fault to find with the working of the mine at all ?—No. 19. The Chairman.] Will your people work the coal on the other side of the railway?— That is questionable. It is right in a swamp, but we expect to work it. 20. If you do you will have to pump? —Yes. We have a lot of coal across the swamp. 21. Mr. Proud.] The mine is under your daily supervision ?—Yes. 22. You make the inspections with a locked safety-lamp?— Yes. 23. You test it for gas ?—Yes. 24. And examine the roof and the sides to see that all is safe ? —Yes. 25. Then you return to the station to meet the men ?—Yes, outside. 26. Do you write up your report when you return ? —Not until after the day is over ; it is written night. Donald MacLeod, Farmer, examined. 1. The Chairman.} Have you been residing long in the district? —Thirty-seven years. 2. Do you own the property known as West Bryan's ? —Yes ; in partnership with my brother I own 38 acres to the north-west of the railway, including part of the Limestone Rocks. The West Bryan's Mine was the first worked in the Hikurangi district. We took a contract for supplying the Northern Steamship Company during the time of the strike. The mine was leased to Mr. Smith, but through the cutting-down of the price and the high railway charge the mine had to shut down as soon as the incline was worked out. 3. How much did Mr. Smith pay you for royalty ?—9d. per ton. 4. How much do you suppose you made out of it ?—-About £200 or £300. 5. You think the "only reason why the mine shut down was the unsatisfactory price?— That was the sole reason. In our case the incline had been worked out or it might have paid. 6. How many drives did you put in? —There were two main drives put in on the incline. 7. How far did they do in ? —Perhaps 200 yards. 8. Did they go right through coal ? —They came to a fault or dip. 7—C. 4.