C—3a

2

The increased production has taken place in all the inspection districts, and at nearly all of the important collieries, the output of which is shown hereunder : —

SECTION II.—PERSONS EMPLOYED.

In conformity with the output the number of persons engaged at collieries has doubled within the past decade. SECTION lII.—ACCIDENTS. The following is a summary of coal-mining accidents during 1910, with their causes.

It is to be greatly regretted that the number of fatal mining accidents during 1910 has been higher than usual, no less than sixteen lives having been lost thereby. It is not intended to excuse this bad fortune, for no good pui'pose can be served thereby. The importance of greater caution on the part of all concerned, including Inspectors, mine officials, and employees, cannot be too strongly impressed. It is not sufficient that conditions be reasonably safe, for to provide against those contingencies met with occasionally at all mines, ultra-safety should be insisted upon. The verdicts at the inquests on fifteen of the deceased were " Accidental death, no blame being attachable to any one," the sixteenth verdict being " Suffocation by misadventure " ; this, no doubt, is satisfactory from the officials' point of view.

Locality. n . . ,1 Total Output Class of Coal. Out P"' for to 31st Deiylu - oember, 1910. Total Number of Persona ordinarily employed. Name of Colliery. Northern District. Hikurangi Taupiri ... Northern Kiripaka ... Hikurangi... Semi-bitu-minous ... Huntly ... Brown ... Hikurangi... Semi-bitu-minous ... Kiripaka ... Ditto I Tons. Tone. 62,840 702,792^ 228,962 2,322,151 44,626 368,173! 45,462 245,453 90 539 77 59 West Coast District. Coalbrookdale Westport-Stockton State Coal-mines .. Blackball i Millerton ... Bituminous i Denniston ... Mangatini „ I Seddonville „ Point Eliza- ( bech ... Blackball ... 268,816 3,132,351 347,719 5,722,431 151,951 244,893 62,714! 340,059 212,888 1,224,571, 166,505, 1,313,125 I 490 647 165 115 487 I 288 Southern District. Kaitangata Nightcaps ... Kaitangata Brown ... Nightcaps... „ 138,940 2,579,352! 58,010 724,325! I 321 97 Other collieries, in all districts Various 407,92912,311,8721 ! 1,158 Totals 2,197,36231,231,548 4,533

Average Number of Persons employed during 1910. Inspection District. Above Ground. Below Ground. Total. lorthern Vest Coast louthern 159 712 265 679 2,087 697 838 2,799 962 Totals, 1910 Totals, 1909 1,136 1,159 3,463 4,599 3,032 4,191

Fatal A. :cidents. Non-fatal Accidents. Number of Separate Fatal Accidents. Number of Deaths. Number of Separate Nun-fatal Accidents. Number of Persons injured, including those injured by Accidents which proved Fatal to their Companions. Explosions of firedamp falls in mine Ihaft accidents /liscellaneous —Underground... On surface ... 8 1 5 10 1 5 8 "e 2 "8 (i ■2 Totals 14 16 16 16