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j 71. Mr. Dowgr(iy.~\ Have you ever seen any brattice-cloths, except the one on your own level, jn the mine torn down ?—Yes, there was one in the stope next to us. 72. It is not customary to put them up, is it? Those are the only two you have seen? — I have not seen very many, I admit. i 3. The Chairman.]- How much of the mine have you been over? — I have been over a good deal of it. I have worked in five or six places. 74. Mr. DowgrayJ] Those two are the only brattices you have seen ?—Yes, I think so, but I would not be sure. George Nicholas Jones sworn and examined. (No. 22.) 1. The What are you, Mr. Jones?—A miner. 2. How long have you been mining?— Between fifteen and twenty years. 3. Where?—ln Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. 4. How long have you been in New Zealand? —About four years, all the time in the Waihi Mine. 5. Do you understand anything' about taking temperatures?—No ■ ■ 6. Do you know anything about the wet and the dry bulb? —No. 7. Have you ever been in hot places when they have taken the temperature?— Yes; where I am working at the present time it was taken, and found to be as high as 83£°. 8. Who took that temperature?— The workmen's inspector and the Inspector of Mines. It is Pearson and party's place on the Royal lode in No. 9 level. ■ '■'■■■'' 9. Is work still being carried on there ?—Yes. 10. Did you see the temperatures taken the other day?— Yes; it was down a matter of 5° or 7°. 11. What brought it down, do you know? —I cannot attribute it to any particular influence, unless it is that as the workings are exhausted we get a better current of air with not so much friction. : 12. There has been no alteration in the system of ventilation? —No, not that I am aware of. 13. When the temperatures were up at the higher point, how were you affected?—We used to perspire very freely, and working in mineral ore we broke out in boils all over —a sort of bloodpoisoning. I had to lose nine or ten days myself through them, and to go to Te Aroha to get rid of them. I was under treatment by the doctor, Dr. Pearse. ! , 14. Of Waihi I— Yes ; all mv other mates in the same stope were affected. 15. How are you affected when working in the temperature taken by the Commission?—We find it a lot better this last month or two. As the stope goes higher matters improve. 16. Do you find any diffictilty in working eicrht hours in that temperature?—No; it is a bit hot. It would be a great relief if we worked less hours. 17. Do you say that the present temperature has any injurious effect upon you apart from mere personal discomfort? —I find myself to be setting very short-winded, and I blame that for it. 18. Have you had any experience of accidents? —I have been very fortunate in that respect. I have not seen any in my immediate presence, but I have seen several narrow escapes. 19. How? —By falls of ground from the back. 20. What do you attribute these falls to ?—Thev generally hapnen when working down the ground after firing. Frenuentlv there are loose pieces in the back which may not be noticed, and you have to be very careful not to get under them. On one particular occasion, when my mate and I were working in this place, I heard something crack, and we were just able to get out of the way in time to avoid a big fall. 21. Have you ever known other cases of falls from the roof past the actual influence of the shot? —No. 22. Have you ever known any difficulty in sounding the roof ?—Well, we have been able to test it. 23. What is the average height you work to? —6 ft., or 7 ft., or 8 ft. Our job is a shrinkage job. Sometimes we have to leave big places. 24. Have you any opinion to offer as to how many holes a man should fire with a fuse, and when he should use electricity?—l have had no experience whatever with batteries, but I consider thnt a man should not spit more than four or five holes by hand, and he should have a fair length of fuse so as to allow him plenty of time to escape. 25. Have you had any experience of the truoking-wavs? —Yes. I find that trucking is very hard and laborious work; it should be done by horses in the Wa'hi Mine, owing to the size of the trucks and the bad roads. It is not fit fof any man to do. There is something wrong with the trucks we have at present, because, in the past we have been able to push them along with ease. Under the present circumstances, after a man delivers a truck, he is fairly exhausted. 26. Do you drill with a rock-drill? —No, by hand. 27. Have you worked the rock-drill of popper?— Yes, the rock-drill. . 28. Have you used the water with it? —Yes. 29. How were you affected by the dust? —With the water there is no dust at all. 30. You have had no experience with the popper?—No, and do not want any. 31. Have you known of any accidents being caused through one engine-driver only being at the engine when men were being lowered and hauled? —I have not known of any accidents, but I consider that the driver should have another man alongside, as they have at the Golden Belt, in Western Australia, where I have been, at change of shifts. 32. Do you think that could be done by keepinrr the man going off an extra half-hour?— Yes, 33. The man who is going on changes the men?—-Yes,

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