C—3a.

McDonald's, Wendon Valley (Donald Nicoll). —(23/1/1901) : Opencast and driving. Stripping ahead not being attended to in opencast, and the drive is very larse, 12 ft. by 12 ft. Drays are backed right into the mine, but the owner intends to lay a tramway and truck the coal out. Three sets of timber required at mine-mouth, as pointed out to Mr. Nicoll. (30/8/1901) : This pit is now worked on good lines. The entrance has been well timbered. Pour men getting coal. Styles's Pit, Wendon Valley (Arthur Styles). —(23/1/1901) : Opening up a small pit near Edge's. Wendon Pit, Wendon Valley (G. H. Evans). — (23/1/1901) : Stripping becoming too heavy; a heading is being driven in the coal. The face being too vertical over the mine-mouth, I instructed the owner to give it a safe batter. (30/8/1901) : Two men getting coal. There is a strong tendency in this mine to drive wide without due regard to pillars. The coal is strong, but when opened up becomes friable under atmospheric action, causing the pillars to crush. Bedford's (Carmichael's) Pit, Wendon (E. and P. Badford),—(ll/11/1901) : Opencast. Seam almost vertical. Coal 20 ft. thick. Stripping 25 ft., which is sluiced off when water is plentiful, but scarcity of water leaves the pit in an awkward state. Two men. Monaghan's Pit, Landslip, Waikai'i (P. Monaghan). —(13/11/1901) : Opencast. Coal has been stripped in two places on the hillside, but very little coal has been taken out. Mclvor's, Landslip, Waikaia (Mrs. Mclvor). —(13/11/1901) : Thickness of seam, 15 ft. Amount worked, 7 ft. This was worked by an adit, but the seam is so disjointed and full of gravel-partings that it was difficult and dangerous to work. The adit has now been abandoned for opencast method of working. Two men. Goldie's Pit, Waikaia (T. F. Goldie). —(13/11/1901): Opencast. This is a newly acquired area. Quality, shale. Thickness of seam, 12 it., all of which is worked. Stripping 12 ft. Power, hand. Two men. No. 1 Pit, Landslip, Waikaia (A. McKinnon). —(13/11/1901) : This seam is worked by an adit. Thickness of seam, 12 ft., 7 ft. of which is worked. Two men. Natural ventilation, fair. Eoof strong. The bottom has been opened out in the soft sandstone for drainage, depriving side coal of its support. Argyle Pit, Waikaia (J. and T. Baxter). —(13/11/1901) : Opencast. Worked ten years. Pit now in fair order. Seam 10 ft. thick, with 15ft. stripping. Two men. Waimea Pit, Longridge Village (A. Smith). —(11/11/1901) : Opencast. Present coal-seam almost worked out. 5 ft. of stripping required to get 2 ft. 6 in. of coal. Three men. Pyramid Pit, Mandeville (E. MacAllister). —(11/11/1901) : Mine worked by adit. A little coal is being taken out of the lowest level. No one at work to-day. Natural ventilation, fair. Waimumu Coal-pit, Mataura (0. P. Sleeman).—(lo/9/1901) : Coal 17 ft. 6 in., with 17 ft. stripping. Four men stripping, and three men getting coal. Low-level drainage-tunnel keeps the pit dry. Stripping heavy, but kept well advanced. Bogside Goal-pit, Mataura (H. Brown). — (10/9/1901) : Opencast. 16 ft. coal, with 10 ft. stripping. Stripping kept well back. Water pumped out by steam-pump, which barely keeps the mine dry. Two men at work. Beattie and Coster's Pit, Mataura (W. Coster). —(10/9/1901): Opencast. 16 ft. coal, with 10 ft. stripping. Stripping well advanced from the coal-face. Water pumped from the pit by means of a water-wheel and steam-pump. Two men at work. Townshend's, Mataura (B. T. Coomer). —(14/2/1901) : Opencast. The pit had been closed for several years, but owing to the demand for coal for local dredges the pit has recently been reopened. Tenders are called for stripping. (11/9/1901) : Not working. Duthie's Pit, Waimumu (J. Duthie). —(11/9/1901): Working alO ft. 6 in. seam of coal. Stripping 12 ft. In the stripping a higher seam is making, and increases to 6 ft. where tried, 20 to 30 yards back. Below the worked seam there is a parting of clay 2 ft. 4 in., and an underlying seam has been proved by borehole to be 5 ft. to 6 ft. or more in thickness. Present working-face 150 ft. long - Tramway to be laid down from the pit to the Waimumu Valley to furnish coal-supplies to the dredges. Three men at work. Ota Creek Goal-mine, Wyndham (W. Shields). —(9/1/1901): Opencast. Stripping 10 ft. of gravel. Only 5 ft. of the seam being worked, balance of seam lying below water-level being left underfoot. Wyndham Coal-mine, Wyndham (William Walker). —(9/1/1901): Opencast. Not much doing, the bulk of coal-seam lying below permanent water-level of the valley. Edendale Pit, Wyndham (A. McDonald). —(9/1/1901): Small opencast pit. Still closed. Marshall and Jones's Pit, Edendale (H. Marshall and E. and A. Jones). —(9/1/1901) : Small opencast pit. Worked for private use only. NeiU's Coal-pit, Edendale (T. Neill).—(9/1/1901) : Small opencast. Still closed. Munro's Coal-pit, Wyndham (E. Munro). —(9/1/1901) : Opencast pit. Now closed, coal above water-level being all worked out. Bobin Hood Goal-pit, Pine Bush (A. Trotter). — (23/10/1901): Opencast lignite-pit. Coal 10ft. to 12ft. thick. Stripping, 4ft. to 6ft., is principally auriferous gravel, with yellow clay on top. There is not much demand for coal at present. Graham's, Fairfax (P. S. Graham). —(24/7/1901) : Successive levels are driven; no.system of bords or headings. The seam is lying practically horizontal. Stentons are put through regularly for air, and the new drive is bratticed to the face for air-return. Spey Bank Pit, Fairfax (E. Salton). —(24/7/1901): Seam 5 ft. in thickness. A drive 10ft. wide is in 2 chains to the face. Very little now doing, Mr. Salton being past hard work. Isla Bank Pit, Fairfax (M. Slattery). —(24/7/1901): Opencast. No stripping in advance of working-face. Coal about 14 ft. Stripping 6 ft. Nightcaps Colliery, Nightcaps (John Lloyd, manager).—(22/2/1901) : The new dip is down 2-J-

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