IV

0.-2.

The comparative tonnage of the various classes of coal, &c, for the years 1911 and 1912 is summarized as follows :—

The most important development in connection with the coal-mining industry during the year has been at the new State mine at the Seven-mile Creek, near Greymouth, where a colliery has been laid down to deal with an estimated output of 2,000 tons of bituminous coal per day. This new mine has been connected by rope-haulage inclines and a short branch railway with the Government line at Eunanga, where a State colliery has for some years been in operation. By the kind permission of His Excellency the Governor it is proposed to name this new colliery after him ; it will therefore be known in future as the " Point Elizabeth (Liverpool) Colliery," and the township now in course of formation is to bear the name of Liverpool. The quality of the coal now in course of development at this mine is superior for steam-production, household purposes, smithy use, gas and coke making, and may shortly be procured by the public at any of the State coal-depots established in the chief towns of the Dominion. In the North Island important collieries are being laid down upon the Waikato Coalfield by the Waipa Kailway and Collieries (Limited) and by the Pukemiro Company. The Taupiri Company, whose output exceeded all other North Island collieries combined, have largely increased their plant and scale of operations. On the Buller Coalfield, of which a geological survey has recently been made by the Geological Survey Branch of the Mines Department, an important development of a new coal-bearing area has been made by the Westport-Stockton Company, as referred to in my preliminary remarks.

The production of coal and shale from the mines of the Dominion is shown in the following table :—

PERSONS ENGAGED IN MINING. The number oi persons employed in and about the mines of the Dominion during 1912 is estimated at 9,567. The number employed in connection with the metalliferous mines was 5,239, and at coal-mines 4,328. The number of gum-diggers is not ascertainable.

Class of Coal. Output for 1912. Output for 1911. I Increase or Decrease for 1912. Bituminous and semi-bituminous Pitch-coal Tons. 1,417,608 4,115 544,675 211,217 Tons. 1,358,357 4,411 601,093 102,212 Increase Decrease Increase Tons. 59,251 296 56,418 109,005 Brown coal Lignite Totals .. 2,177,615 2,066,073 Increase 111,542

Name of Colliery. Class of Coal. Total Output Output for 1912. L, . J* , I olst December, 1912. Taupiri Westport Coal Company — Millerton Denniston Westport-Stockton State coal-mines — Seddonville ... Point Elizabeth Blackball Kaitangata Nightcaps Other collieries V Brown Tons. 258,108 Tons. 2,495,263 Bituminous . . i) 329.430 298,636 125.031 3,761,423 6,344,435 457,160 ,, • ■ ,, • • ,, ,, ■ • Brown Lignite Various 72.693 188.835 202,878 127,761 89,874 484,369 472,797 1,602,298 1,672,824 2,841,492 878,449 14,949,095 Totals .. 2,177,615 35,475,236