C—3a.

16

of coal from this mine during the year 1906. The total number of men underground, 17. Seam, 20 ft., all being worked. Mosgiel Colliery, Mosgiel (Orr and party; Hugh Orr, manager).—(l9/9/1906) : Operations are being continued in the dip section of the mine. All work on south side is stopped on the boundary. Ventilation, fair. Mine-workings generally in good order. Six men employed. Rules posted. Reportbook kept. Lauriston Colliery, Duncan Settlement, Brighton Road (J. Walker, owner and manager).—About 250 tons of coal were raised from this mine during the year for local requirements. Three men employed. McColl's Coal-pit, Duncan Settlement, Brighton (D. L. McColl).—Two men employed during the year raised 256 tons of coal for local requirements from this pit, Drummuir Coal-mine, Brighton (A. Louden).—Coal mined for private use. Fairbairn's Coal-mine, Taieri Mouth (R. Fairbairn, owner).—Coal mined for private use and local requirements. Bruce Coal-mine, Milton (Anthony Young).—(lß/10/1906) : Mine idle meanwhile. Reed's Coal-mine, Milton.— (lß/10/1906) : Mine idle meanwhile. Real Mackay Colliery, Milton (Lovell's Flat Coal Company, owners ; James Carruthers ; mmemanageT).—(lß/10/1906)': Driving to boundaries and robbing pillars homeward. Workings m good order and air excellent. A new mine is being driven to the 8 ft. seam which was found by boring. The Bruce Railway and Coal Company, Milton (Thomas Barclay, mine-manager ; R. Robertson, secretary).—(lß/10/1906) : Steam-haulage and pumping plant have been provided. Workings to dip are turning out well, coal being strong and improved in quality. Substantial brattice erected, and air fairly well conducted throughout the workings. Adam's Flat Coal-mine, Adam's Flat (J. Reid, owner).—Opencast pit for supply of local requirements. Wallsend Coal-mine, Lovell's Flat (R, Hewitson).—Opencast pit, 74 tons were taken out during the year for local requirements. Benhar Coal-mine, Stirling (P. McSkimming and Son, owners; James McLeod, permit).— (12/12/1906) : Nos. 2 and 3 seams are now being worked from the new dip drive to eastward. Shotfiring and blasting was in progress at the time of my visit, just prior to the miners ceasing work for the day. . . Mount Wallace Coal-mine, Stirling (Francis Park, lessee, lately James Walls).—Mr. Park took over the proprietorship of this mine during the year, and a steady output has been maintained, about 540 tons being extracted. Taratu Railway and Coal Company, Taratu Colliery, Kaitangata (Thomas Shore, mme-manager ; G. R. Cheeseman, general manager).—(4/10/1906) : All work is still confined to the upper seam. Working-places and roadways in good order. Timber well used. Ventilation good. There are now three air-returns, and a new one is being made to come out on the other side of the hill. The mam level has been driven to the roof at 12 chains 22 links. A dip has now been driven 75 ft. at a grade of 1 in 5 and a start made to open up this section. The coal looks well in the dip section. An oil-engine is to be installed for pumping and winding. Mine idle on this date. Eighteen men employed. Report-books in order. Kaitangata Colliery, Kaitangata.—(Sew Zealand Coal and Oil Company, owners; O. G. Lockhart, secretary, Dunedin; W. Carson, mine-manager).—(ll/12/1906) :At the commencement of the year Mr. Carson, mine-manager, Castle Hill Colliery, was appointed manager over both the company's mines at Kaitangata. In the month of April, signs of heating being apparent in No. 12 dip, the men were withdrawn from the two remaining pillars and the dip closed off. Development-work in the new main seam, south district, was continued during the early part of the year. No. 19 dip was driven 370 ft., the main south level extended, and Nos. 3 and 4 headings were put up several hundred feet and bords broken away. No. 18 dip workings were being freely robbed when a feeder of water with gas was experienced in No. 3 bord off No. 19 dip ; the water rose and overflowed into No. 18 dip, which also became flooded. As extension of the main-seam workings progressed the circulation of air ar.»und working-faces became increasingly difficult, and during an extended period of unfavourable atmospheric conditions in the month of May exudation of gases became so pronounced that the ventilating system proved inadequate to sufficiently dilute the increased volume of gas being given off. This state continuing, the management decided in June to proceed with the sinking of a new air-shaft on the seaward side of the main range of hills as already surveyed to a site in advance of the new workings. The shaft, 7 ft. 6 in. by 5 ft. in the clear, was sunk 583 ft,, and communication successfully made underground, thus cutting off a mile and a quarter of return airway, the major part of which had been driven and maintained through old workings. During the period of cessation of coal-winning pending sinking of new air-shaft, advantage was taken of the opportunity to effect necessary repairs to the mam crossmeasures haulage-road underground. Brick-wall fire-stoppings were repaired and strengthened, the brick arch at No. 3 reinforced with bent and shaped railway metals backed with 4 in. hardwood lagging. At intersections of Nos. 8, 9, and 16 districts—the coal-seams being practically worked out—continuous sets of bent rails having boiler-plate sheathing and sand backing have been inserted in the cross-sections of the coal-seams from rock to rock, which it is hoped will effectually]act as| airtight stoppings, imprison black damp, and prevent subsequent outbreak of fire by spontaneous ignition at those points. Unfortunately, several serious accidents happened to the mine officials while these improvements were being carried out. (25/7/1906) : Neill McAllister, assistant manager, and Charles Milne, repairer, were severely burned about face, hands, and body by a small fall'of heated sand which came away unexpectedly from near the roof at brick-wall fire-stopping undergoing repair at foot of main incline. (10/10/1906) : John McCaughern and William Proctor, deputies, sustained burns of face and arms by slight ignition of firedamp at No. 8 crossing. For purpose of "getting in to play water