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fW. J. ADAMS.

15. Are you any authority at all on the taking of temperatures by instruments?— Not except with a thermometer. That is all I use. 16. At what temperature would you consider a place too hot to work in? —I think when it gets over 80° it is hot enough for a six-hour shift. 17. At what temperature should a man cease work altogether, taking into consideration the heat alone? —I think when it rises above 80° a man cannot do much work in it. 18. Have you had any experience of anything else which will make a place injurious—gas or anything?—l have been in gassy places. 19. And do you consider a standard temperature to be a workable scheme —that is, the standard to be fixed by statute?—l am afraid the conditions at the Thames would not suit it very well. I cannot speak for other districts. 20. Have you given any consideration to the matter of the constitution of the tribunal which inquires into accidents in mines, the Warden and two mine-managers? —No. 21. What would you say to the tribunal being composed of a Warden, a miner, and a minemanager, instead of two mine-managers?—l do not know; it is a matter that I have never studied. 22. Mr. Cochrane.'] What is your opinion of the necessity for bath-houses?—My experience of bath-houses in Waihi is that, though there were a great number of men working, very few of them ever went into the bath; they simply washed themselves and went home. That was some years ago. 23. If they do use them, as you have heard it stated to-day, would you be in favour of bathhouses being provided in the larger mines? —Yes, provided the men are compelled to use them. 24. Would you make the compulsion as to taking baths apply to all the men, or only to those suffering from miners' phthisis?—l do not know how you could make it apply to all men. 25. Have you anything to suggest as to the better ventilation of winzes? —No, nothing better than we have at the present time. 26. What are your present arrangements?— Double passes. 27. Do you rise or sink?— Both. 28. Then how do you provide for ventilation? —In rising we put in a box rise; sometimes we use the blower. In surface workings we use the exhaust, which gives a good current, and we have no trouble. 29. Would you be in favour of making it compulsory for these rises to be ventilated by auxiliary fans?—l do not know how that would act in the smaller mines, but it should be satisfactory in the bigger mines. . 30. Have you anything to say as to the ventilation of stopes where there is little air-current? —Certainly, where there is bad ventilation some provision should be made. 31. In what way?—By natural ventilation or by means of a fan or blower. 32. But that would necessitate a connection between the level? —Yes. . , 33. Have you any cages at your mine?—-No, they are only surface workings. 34. But at other mines where you have been you have had cages : how did you test the safety appliances? —Just in the ordinary way. I have seen them tested, but I have had nothing to do with them. 35. Mr. Eeed.] Are you an authority upon standard temperatures?—No, I am not able to express an opinion on that subject. .36. In reply to a question you stated 80° as a temperature which you would consider very warm I—Yes.1 —Yes. 37. You would work a place with that temperature, wet or dry? —No. ■ 38. Which bulb did you mean? —Simply the outside temperature of the atmosphere, dry. '39. You thought that was sufficiently hot, or did you mean with a wet bulb?—No, with a dry bulb. 40. Are you well acquainted with the Deep Levels operations ?—No, I have not been down the shaft. 41. Is your mine at Waitangi a gassy mine? —No, there is no gas; there is light air. 42. So that the little exhaust fan which you have is quite capable of dealing with the comparatively pure air in the mine? —Yes, there is no trouble. 43. You do not know what effect that fan would have if there were much gas in the mine? — It depends on the quantity of gas. If there was only a small quantity the fan could cope with it. 44. You are not within the gassy zone? —No. 45. Have the workmen ever made any complaints or inspected your mine? —No. 46. Does the Inspector of Mines frequently visit and inspect your mine?— Yes. 47. Does he require the provisions of the Mining Act to be thoroughly carried out? —Yes. 48. Have you recently tested the time which a 5 ft. piece of fuse takes to burn?— Yes. I did not exactly take the time, but after setting fire to the fuse I walked a distance of 820 ft. at a steady pace before the cap went off. 49. Have you found any of that fuse defective? —No, it was the best quality. 50. What length of fuse do you use with rock-drills? —5 ft. and 6 ft. 51. What is the maximum distance at which you have known stones to injure a man when projected down a drive by an explosion ?—ln our case I do not think I have seen a man injured when more than 250 ft. away. 52. Would you think it a necessary precaution to have manholes cut in the side of your drive to protect the men when firing?—lt would not be necessary in our case, because we have lay-bys and wide places for them to get into. There is one lay-by within 227 ft. of the face, and another one s'4oft., and a third 820 ft. Such a provision may, however, be necessary in some mines. 53. So that lay-bys will act as manholes?— Yes. Then there is timber all the way along, where a man could step in and get shelter.