GEORGE NEWTON.]

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I—4a,

208. How is the ventilation ?—lt is good, 209. Are the old workings sealed off ?—No; there are just temporary stoppings put in. There is not a great deal of ground opened up. There are no pillars taken out yet. 210. Tell us your opinion generally about the old workings ? —My opinion is that there ougnt to be a certain quantity of air circulating round the old workings to prevent large accumulations of gas. When heavy falls take place, and there are weak stoppings, the gas is brought down and there is a danger of explosion, 211. Do you think it would be better to seal the old workings ?—There must be stoppings put in. 212. But if you could seal the old workings off you could have an air-gauge ?■—Yes. 213. Do you think that would prevent the accumulation of gas ? —Yes, that would carry the gas off into the retort. 214. Take the Brunner Mine : there is a large amount of old workings there. Would you not require an enormous current of air to clear the old workings out ?—Yes, but the air lies dead. We refer to the workings oustide of those, where the pillars have not been taken out. 215. You do not mean that portion of the mine which has been worked out altogether, but those parts of the mine standing idle without any working-faces ? —Yes. 216. Hon. Mr. McGowan.] Do you consider the inspection of the mines by the Government Inspector —the Tyneside Mine or any other mine—is efficiently carried out ? In other words, is there any neglect on the part of the Inspector of Mines ? —I could not say there was any neglect. 217. Can you give us a more definite opinion—your own opinion—as to whether the mines are properly inspected or not ? —I am not working in that mine now. 218. Well, in any mine that you are working in ? —I have heard some of the men just say in a loose conversational way that Mr. Hanlon would just come to the top of the mine and ask how they were getting on. 219. Do you not think a proper Mining Inspector would be able to see if a mine were sufficiently ventilated or not I —Oh, yes. I have walked about 14 chains into a drive at Reefton when prospecting, and found the air to change every day for a certain time. 220. But there would be no fan there ?—No. 221. The Chairman.] From your knowledge, do you think the Government inspection of the mines is satisfactory ?—I have no fault to find with it further than in connection with that report. 222. Hon. Mr. McGowan.] And not for what is in it, but for what is not in it ? —Yes. 223. Mr. R. McKenzie.] You know the Inspector of Coal-mines for the West Coast ?—Yes. 224. And know that he has to inspect all the mines from Westport to the Haast ?—Yes. 225. And down as far as Puponga I—Yes.1 —Yes. 226. And also Marlborough ?—Yes. 227. How much time does he spend in travelling during three months ? —I think his district is too large, and that he ought to have some assistance. 228. Do you think he can properly inspect any mine, and do such a vast amount of travelling ? —No. 229. Hon. Mr. McGowan.] Do you say that there is no coal-mine properly inspected on the Coast '( —I do not say that. 230. As far as you know they are properly inspected ? —As far as I know they are properly inspected, as well as it is possible for the Inspector to do considering the large area he has to inspect. 231. Mr. R. McKenzie.] How often do you think the Brunner Mine, say, ought to be inspected ? —Perhaps once in a couple of months by the Inspector of Mines. 232. Who is going to do the inspection in the meantime ? —The check inspector goes round once a month. 233. You think once in two months would be sufficient for the Inspector of Mines ? —lt would be better if he could go round once a month. 234. Sometimes there is an accident, say, at Puponga, and he is called away there when possibly he ought to be visiting Brunnerton, so that possibly he cannot inspect your mine once in six months ? —Yes, that would delay him. 235. Hon. Mr. McGowan.] Have you known any mine not to be inspected more frequently than once in six months ?—Yes.

Friday, 18th August, 1905. Henry Betts examined. (No. 4.) 1. The Chairman.] What are you ?—Secretary of the Trades and Labour Council of Westland. 2. You are here to give evidence on behalf of that body in connection with the Bill before the Committee and the suggestions put in by the delegates ? —Yes. I can corroborate the evidence of previous witnesses as to the necessity of providing that the explosives used in mines shall be the best procurable from a health point of view. I also corroborate their evidence given in connection with clause 5 of the suggestions as to payment for deaths through sickness as well as through accident—that is, if the funds will permit it. I understand it will if the fund is consolidated. I have not gone through the provision for a superannuation fund. I concur with the suggestion that miners' unions be empowered to take extracts from pay-sheets and books, and consider it necessary that the unions should have that power. In addition to the reasons already given I might state another reason —namely, that if the unions had this power they would be able to know whether the wages or prices provided by an award were being paid by the employers to the men. With regard to clause 8, I might make this a little clearer than previous witnesses. If you look at the general rules applying to coal-mines, you will see that the