I.—4a.

52

[GEORGE FLETCHER.

606. .Are there any day-wages men in your mine?—Yes; the men are all paid by the day, excepting twenty-eight coal-hewers ; they are on piece. 607. If this Bill became law, supposing that you could haul the coal away, would you expect to get from the men in seven hours what they are now giving vou in seven hours and a half ?—No. 608. Could they do it?—The machine-men could get the coal, but the fillers and truckers could not get it away. 609. Is there anything else you would like to say about the Bill, as to its effect on your mine if it is passed?—The only way in which it would affect us would be to reduce our output. That would mean increasing the cost. 610. Mr. Herries.] How many tons do you put out per day at your mine? —Between 1,100 and 1,200 tons ; but bear in mind that that is in fifteen hours. We have a day shift and a night shift. 611. Supposing this Bill were carried, and each shift had half an hour less, how much less coal would you put out then ?—Nearly 100 tons —80 or 90 tons a day less. 612. Would it be possible to alter your haulage in any way so as to put out the same amount though the men worked half an hour less?—Not without very large expenditure. 613. What do you call " large expenditure " ?—£12,000 or £15,000. 614. You would have to put in another tunnel"? —We could not do it without driving another tunnel, and that would cost us £12,000 or £15,000. 615. It is not because you are short of tubs ?—Not at all. We have heavy grades to contend with. 616. The only way of coping with the difficulty would be to make a new tunnel?—Yes. 617. Mr. R. McKenzie.] You are working two shifts at Granity at present ? —Yes. 618. How many hours a day does each shift work?—Seven hours and fifty-five minutes, with half an hour for meal-time. The rope is running seven hours and twenty-five minutes. That is a reduction since the 7th March of thirty-five minutes. The Arbitration Court reduced the time by thirty-five minutes. 619. In reply to Mr. Allen, you said that your haulage was going at its full capacity. Instead of working it for fifteen hours as you do now, why not work it sixteen hours ?—We could not. 620. Why ?—Because the men and boys would not be at work. They have to be underground seven hours and fifty-five minutes only. 621. Could you not extend the time?—No; according to the award of the Court, we could not. 622. But this Bill would not prevent overtime?—The men would not work it. 623. But the law is not against their doing so?—The men would not work overtime. If they had to work overtime they would have to be paid extra. 624. Could you not put a third shift on ? —lt would not be desirable. A third could be put on, but it would not be practicable to do so. 625. Would it be possible ? —There is scarcely anything impossible, but it would not be practicable. 626. Have you ever had a third shift working at Granity?—Not since the mine has been open. 627. Have they ever had a third shift at Denniston ?—That I cannot answer. 628. I suppose the two mines are somewhat similar, but Granity would be easier to work than Denniston on account of the railway-trucks having to go up to Denniston ?—Yes; our tubs come downhill, and the railway-trucks have to go on to Denniston. 629. You are not aware whether they have ever worked the Denniston Mine with three shifts ?—I am aware that they have worked two shifts, and abandoned it; but they are going to work two again. 630. As far as you know, there is nothing to prevent a third shift being put on anywhere if the company are prepared to pay?—lt is not a desirable thing to have three shifts. 631. What has been your experience of the effect of coal-mining on the men's health, generally speaking? —I have been accustomed to work in well-ventilated collieries 632. I think you are in a well-ventilated colliery now ?—Yes, one of the best. I have not seen any harm done at any colliery I have been at, because the ventilation has been well attended to. I refer to the Old Country, where we had gas to contend with, and it was necessary that the ventilation should be good. I have been at two collieries in New South Wales; the ventilation was good at them ; but no mine is better ventilated than the Millerton. 633. At the very best of mines, like the Millerton, where the air is as good as it is possible to get it, do you think that with the dust there always is in a coal-mine, and the air becoming exhausted by the men breathing it, and explosives being used, the occupation of a miner is as healthy as that of a man working on the surface ? —Yes, I do. Our mine is as healthy as this room with the present company in it ; there is a constant supply of fresh air. The circulation is going on all the time, and the vitiated air is carried out. 634. Have you ever known a case of a man being exhausted by inhaling foul air ?—Not to my knowledge; I have heard of it, but I have never seen it. 635. Are you down the mine at all ? —Yes. 636. Have you ever known of cases when the men had to be stopped from working and withdrawn from the faces on account of bad air ? —Not at any mine that I have been connected with. 637. You have never known the men to be stopped from going into a mine for an hour or half an hour?—No, not at any colliery that I have been connected with. 638. Do you know whether such a thing has occurred at Granity or Denniston ?—I do not know of any having occurred at Denniston, and do not think it has occurred at Granity. I have not been in any other mines than Denniston and Granity in New Zealand.