21

C—3a

for the requirements of dredges working in Waikaka Valley. The mine is in good working-order. Ventilation good. Powder well stored and carefully used. Rules posted. Four men employed. Edge's Coal-pit, Wendon Valley (A. A. Edge, lessee). —No coal has been mined from this area during the year. J. Bushbridge's Coal-pit, Wendon Valley. —Supplies are drawn from this pit during the summer months for threshing and winter use. Perkins's Coal-pit, Wendon Valley (George Perkins). —Coal mined for private use only. Henderson's Coal-pit, Wendon Valley. —Coal mined for private use only. Radford's Coal-pit, Wendon. —This pit was idle throughout the year. Mystery Flat Coal-seam, Waikaia. —A bed of lignite from 2 to 4 chains in width has been proved by boring and dredging operations to exist in the main valley opposite Monaghan's woolshed, Landslip. It was proposed to work this seam, but the plan was not carried through. Landslip Coal-mine, Waikaia (Landslip Coal Syndicate, owners ; W. E. C. Reid, secretary, Dunedin ; R. Brown, manager). —(11/1/1906) : The tramway bridge, 4 chains in length, across the Waikaia River facilitates coal-loading when the river is in fresh. The coal-seam is 18 ft. in thickness, of which 8 ft. is being extracted fiist working ; pillars, 30 ft. square. Increased ail -circulation by erecting a chimney on the upcast shaft, and utilising exhaust steam from pump is under consideration. Kyle and Sons' Coal-pit {lately Rear's), Waikaia (William Kyle, permit). —(11/10/1906) : Coalseam tender, and oare required to maintain the places intact. The low-level drainage-tunnel being driven should prove a benefit. Rossvale Coal-pit {late Ross's), Waikaia (Bond and Cain, lessees ; J. Bond, permit). —(11/10/1906) : Mine-entrance well timbered, and main level is in good order, and gradually getting around Ross's old workings, which are fallen. The lower seam is 10 ft. in thickness, of which 6 ft. is worked, leaving strong roof in coal so long as present width of bords (8 ft.) is not exceeded. Monaghan's Coal-pit, Landslip, Waikaia (R. Monaghan, lessee; J. T. Young, permit). — (11/10/1906) : North-going levels are driven past old workings, which are fallen. This seam will not stand wide or high drives, and the roof of soft sandstone is not self-supporting. Stentons for air are driven at regular intervals. The proprietor contemplates selling his interest in the mine. Muddy Terrace {Shale-pit), Waikaia (T. F. Goldie, owner; J. M. Hazeldine, manager).— (23/3/1906) : This seam is now worked partly by opencast and partly by underground mining. The mine-workings are in good order. Timber well used. Ventilation good. The seam is 17 ft. in thickness. The depth of clay-stripping in the open face is 15 ft, Six men are employed. Argyle Coal-pit, Upper Waikaia (J. and T. Baxter, lessees). —(22/3/1906) : Owing to its distance from the dredging-field this pit does not maintain a steady output. The supply is chiefly to farmers, and does not exceed 250 tons per annum. The seam is worked opencast. Two men employed. Pyramids Coal-pit, Mandeville (E. MacAllister; owner). —The mine has not been reopened during the year. Waimea Coal-pit, Waimea Village, Waimea. —This pit has been idle throughout the year. Radford's Coal-pit, Balfour (E. Fitzgerald, owner). —Only 152 tons of coal were mined from this property in the early part of the year. H. Studholme's Coal-pit {late R. McKenzie's), Blackmount Station, Takitimo District. —Forty-five tons of coal were mined from this pit for private and station requirements. Waimumu Coal-pit, Mataura (C. P. Sleeman, owner). —(10/10/1906) : Operations have been conducted on the usual good lines throughout the year. Two faces are now opened up, and steady supplies are drawn from them. 8,215 tons of lignite were raised and sold during the year. Powder carefully stored and handled. Seven men generally employed. Boghead Coal-pit, Mataura (A. Cameron and James Duncan, lessees). —(10/10/1906) : 375 tons of coal were raised during the early part of the year, but work was suspended in March, and the pit has been flooded since that month. Mataura Lignite-pit, Mataura (Beattie, Coster, and Co., owners; W. Coster, manager).— (10/10/1906) : Opencast pit in good working-order. Large area of overburden stripped in advance of working-face. Powder well stored and canisters provided for use. 7,427 tons of lignite were raised and sold during the year. Nine men generally employed. McGilvray's Coal-pit {late Mutch's), Mataura. —No coal was mined from this pit, but 14 tons of haematite were raised for the Mataura Paper Mills. Waimumu Colliery Company, Waimumu (H. W. Royds, secretary ; W. J. Williams, manager). — (12/9/1906) : This pit is worked on the opencast system. On this visit I found that the overlying clay had not been kept sufficiently well stripped back from the working-face and haulage-road. In consequence of the wet weather the overburden had slipped over the face. I instructed the manager to withdraw the men from the coal and clear off the overburden to a safe distance. (17/10/1906) : Revisited the pit on this date, and found that a large area of the overburden had been cleared off with ploughs and scoops. 4,314 tons were raised and sold during the year, principally for the supply of dredges working in the Waimumu Valley. Powder well stored and handled. Ten men employed. Nightcaps Colliery, Nightcaps (J. Lloyd, mine-manager ; William Handyside, managing director). — (14/10/1906) : No. 1 district, north-going and dip sections : Under the policy of development in advance as hitherto carried out boundaries to rise of water-free level have been reached, consequently extraction of pillar and head coal is now in full swing. Large quantities of timber are used for protection of the workmen, and many crib log buildings erected on roadsides for support of roof on the lips of the waste are rendered necessary by reason of the numerous clay backs which occur at irregular angles in the coal-seams. No. 2 district (pillars) : Robbing of pillar and head coal continues to be safely done. The district is drawing homeward gradually. Timber plentifully used, most of which is withdrawn and used over again. The ventilation of the colliery is generally good, as the fan is working well within