a—3a

4

Point Elizabeth. —The Point Elizabeth Colliery, Greymouth (New Zealand State Coal-mines), also became a producing property during the year, the seam operated upon being known as the Main (or Exhibition) seam. The primary use of this coal is for the supply of the New Zealand Government railways, but a portion of the output is also sold to the public. Drury. —Towards the latter end of the year operations were put in hand'for opening a new colliery about two miles and a half from the railway-station at Drury, near Auckland. To a limited extent some coal was worked in this locality several years ago. The seam to be operated upon is reported to be 15 ft. in thickness, but at the time of my visit the prospecting shaft was full of water, and therefore I had no opportunity of seeing the seam except at the outcrop where the thickness is not so great. The coal is a brown coal of very fair quality, suitable for local requirements, and is being opened by a level tunnel. Arrangements have been made to ventilate the mine from the first by means of a fan of approved type. Connection with the railway at Drury is being made by means of a substantial tramway to be worked by locomotive-power. Proposed new Collieries. Ngakawau. —A lease of coal-bearing land, 1,577 acres in extent, lying at the back of the Westport Coal Company's Granity Creek leasehold (Millerton Colliery), has been issued to Mr. G. L. Tacon, and it is intended to form a company to open up and work the property. As the land in question is at an altitude somewhat greater than that held by the Westport Coal Company, connection with the railway near where it crosses the Ngakawau River will have to be made by an incline tramway. The quality of the coal is similar to that worked at Millerton Colliery, and as a matter of fact the seam is a continuation (beyond the eastern boundary of the Granity Creek leasehold) of that now being worked from Millerton. Paparoa. —Messrs. W. H. Cutten and H. Neilsen have been granted a lease to mine coal over an area of 1,000 acres of land near the southern end of the Paparoa Ranges, the property being some two or three miles from Blackball Township ; and comprehensive prospecting and careful surveys have disclosed an extensive field of coal comprised within the leasehold. A large number of outcrops have been exposed, and the average thicknesses of the several seams are reported as under : No. 1, 10 ft. 6 in. ; No. 2, 18 ft. ; No. 3, 9 ft. ; No. 4, 5 ft. ; No. 5, 10 ft. ; No. 6, 10 ft. 6 in. : making an average total of 63 ft. of coal. Having inspected the property, and examined the prospecting done and outcrops exposed, I see no reason to doubt the estimate of Mr. F. Cutten, C.E. (authorised surveyor), who was in charge of the work, as to the extent of coal contained in the six seams discovered. The quality of the coals is remarkable, the following analyses by the Government Analyst showing that Nos. 1 and 2 seams may be classed among the anthracite coals, whilst the remaining seams appear to be fully equal to the very best coals yet mined in any part of the West Coast coalfields, and superior to the average production:—

The coals of the lower seams (Nos. 1, 2, and 3) are practically smokeless, and should be eminently suitable for use in ocean-going steamers generally. The area under nooice being on the side of a mountain range a colliery can be opened level-free, and the coal conveyed by means of a self-acting cable haulage road, about two miles in length (at a fairly easy gradient) to the new branch of the Government railway about to be constructed from Ngahere to Blackball. Examinations for Mine-managers' Certificates. The papers set for the last examination of persons desirous of qualifying for positions as manager 8 of coal-mines are appended. Schedules. The list of persons to whom managers' certificates of service and of competency have been issued is appended, as are also the statistical tables showing the output of coal, &c, from, and the numbers of persons employed at, the several mines throughout the colony. I have, &c. John Hayes, The Under-Secretary for Mines, Wellington. Inspecting Engineer.

l. 2. , 3. 5. 6. i J ■ . _j ; j Fixed carbon Hydrocarbon Water Ash Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. 8005 79-10 77-2 75-55 15-10 1505 190 22-75 0-65 1-85 0-6 0-70 4-20 4-00 3-2 1-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 Per Cent. 7000 24-35 0-85 4-80 100-00 Total sulphur Evaporative power by standard usually adopted in New Zealand Ditto in New South Wales I i . 0-37 10-40 17-61 0-23 10-28 17-40 i 0-26 10-04 16-98 0-29 9-82 16-62 0-19 9-10 15-40