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45. You told us there were three or four ways for the men to get out : are these all parallel with the main dip heading?— Yes. One is a disused bord very nearly parallel. 46. What means have you for ventilating the mine?— There are no artificial means. While the pump is working we get more. 47. Do you consider the steam from the pipes and pump is sufficient without artificial means in the shape of a furnace or fan ?—I think it is sufficient. 48. In the event of anything serious happening in the main dip, do you think it would be difficult for the men to get out, or would the heat or steam overcome them ? —I do not think so. If the main airway was completely choked the men would soon get to know it. I think there would be sufficient air to carry it through if it was completely blocked. 49. In the bottoms of the bords where the drop-sheets are narrow, would there be less air lost if you had double drop-sheets some yards away ? —There is no doubt they would assist. 50. You admit that when a truck goes through the bratticed cloth it lets a lot of air through ? —Yes, you lose that air. Two drop-sheets instead of one would certainly affect that. 51. Mr. Proud.] You have return airways ?—Yes. 52. Is there a good current going through ? —Yes ; but we lose a portion of the air. It is fairly warm in the evening on account of the powder-smoke. 53. You think the men could escape by the return airway in the event of any accident ? —Yes ; in the case of any accident in the main dip. The escape is fairly good. Robert Grundy, Miner, examined. 1. The Chairman.] What are you engaged at ?—I am now check-weighing on behalf of the men employed at the Huntly collieries. I check for all three mines. 2. You are also president of your union ?—Yes, the Waikato Coal-miners' Industrial Union of Workers. 3. How long have you been engaged in this district ? —Between six and seven years. 4. And which mine have you chiefly worked at ?—Kimihia ; but I have worked a considerable time at the Taupiri Extended. 5. As president of your union, what matters do you wish chiefly to bring before this Commission ? —There is considerable dissatisfaction at present as to the way in which the mine is ventilated. 6. Which mine do you refer to ?—Both Ralph's and the Kimihia Mine. 7. What about the Extended?—-That is practically shut down, and there are only four men working there. 8. Tell the Commission about the ventilation ?—The chief grievance seems to be that the air is not split sufficiently, and the slits are not driven close enough—that is, the stentons are not cut close enough to each other. The men are too far from the current before there is another current to a face. There is also so much blasting in the district that it is very injurious to the miners' health. We have talked the matter over and consider that 15 yards in front of the stenton is far enough unless it is bratticed, because it is very unhealthy to work in the powder-smoke where there is so much blasting going on. 9. Is there much blasting going on ?—Yes. 10. Is not the ventilation being attended to at the present time ? —Yes ; they are widening the air-shaft, but it does not seem to be distributed so much as it ought to be. There are complaints about it not being split. 11. Is that the only recommendation you would make —-that the stentons should be made closer together ? —lf they were split into districts there would not be so much carbonic-acid gas from all the rest of the -men. 12. Is that all you can say about the ventilation ?—Yes. The ventilation does not seem to be bad except for that. 13. Has that matter been represented to the mine-owners ?—No ; there have only been individual complaints made to the deputy. 14. How long has the union been formed?— For about fifteen or eighteen months. 15. During that period have you made any combined representations to the owners ? —No ; we have had other things to contend with. 16. Have you known any case where the health of any of the men has been materially affected by this want of ventilation ? —Yes ; I have had to drag my mate out, and get him water, and I have had my mate go home sick and unable to go to his work. Another man was off for a fortnight, through working in a place which ought to have been cut through before. 17. What mine was that in?— The drag-out case was at the Extended; the others at Kimihia. 18. Do you know anything about the Extended ?—Yes ; I have seen it bad in the Extended. They have artificial ventilation there, but they seem to have driven their slits or stentons large, so that they could not block them up. Ido not think the stentons should be driven more than 6 ft. by 6 ft., because the ventilation instead of driving to the face escapes to the stentons. 19. Your remarks as to ventilation apply chiefly to Kimihia ?—Yes. 20. Putting the question of ventilation on one side, are all due precautions taken to insure the safety of the men employed in the mines?— Yes, they seem to be very careful. They are not mines where there is much timber used, so there is no complaint on that point. 21. Are the roads properly attended to?— Yes. 22. And disused shafts properly fenced off?— There seems to be something wrong at the bottom of Ralph's shaft. There seems to be rather a dangerous way of taking up the race. 23. How are the men paid ; take the hewers first ? —By tonnage. 24. What are they paid?—2s. 9d. for household coal, and 2s. 3d. for steam.