51

e.—l4.

B. Wear.

190. You said in reply to a question that in your opinion there was the amount of air prescribed circulating round the old workings: how much is prescribed? —150 ft. per man. 191. Do you know the Act? —No. 192. How do you come to the conclusion, then, that that was the amount prescribed?—By just hearing the men talk about it. At the last examination of check inspectors there was more than the quantity . 193. Do the check inspectors ever accompany you round the old workings? —Yes, but not this last twice. 194. Have they done it recently at all?— There was one lot of check inspectors went round for about an hour one time, but not these last check inspectors : it was Jones and Patterson. 195. Does the manager ever go round the old workings?—No, the under-manager used to go there. 196. Accompanying you?—No, by himself. 197. Without your knowledge?—No, he has told me. 198. It would not be necessary to lock the door shown on the plan, because that was an ordinary travelling-road? —Yes: that is where they used to take the rails out. 199. lhat w r as the quickest road? —Yes. 200. They have to go through that door to get them on to the rope road? —Yes, it was the handiest way. 201. That was known as the travelling-road where the men were to go?—I could not say whether it was called a travelling-road. 202. You have met men travelling there? —Yes, I have seen men lifting rails when I have been in there. 203. The Chairman.] When was it that you saw the rails? —Four or five months ago. 204. Mr. Dowgray.] You noticed them lifting rails in No. 5 section? —Not in the old bords, but it is in the same section. -'205, You said, in the old workings that had been worked out? —Yes, but these bords have been worked out, and it is in the same section which they examine every day. 206. To get the rails to the foot of this section you would have to bring them that way?— Yes, it is the handiest way. 207. Mr. Brown.] You said that you did not receive special instructions to test for gas?— That is right. 208. You made an adequate examination of the old workings?— Yes. 209. Is it not the duty of every man, whether he is an official or otherwise, to report anything dangerous at all in a mine? —I should think so. 210. Then would there be any real necessity to tell you specially to examine for gas?— Well, I should think there would, but I know I was never told to test for gas. 211. You think that notwithstanding that it was your duty, and the duty of every workman, to report everything that was dangerous, it was also somebody-else's duty to tell you to do that?—l would report whenever I saw danger of any kind. 212. You would do that without anybody telling you?— Yes. 213. In regard to your statement about the air being bad, can an examiner not feel the fresh air on his face as he is walking along the road? —Yes, I suppose he can. 214. And when the air was sluggish you examined for gas?— Yes, when I thought the air was bad or anything like that I tested. 215. I think you stated that you examined for gas where there were falls?— Yes, I did. 216. Are these falls removed?— No. 217. Then, you can climb on most of the falls to examine for gas? —Yes. 218. Did you ever examine anj- pothole in the roof for gas where there was no fall? —No. 219. If the high workings—l mean the bords and cut-throughs—were all the same height and ventilation was going through, would there be any likelihood of gas staying there ? —I should not think there would.

Jambs Fletcher, Mine-manager, sworn and examined. (No. 5.) Mr. Wilford: I ask leave, sir, to put in the evidence given by Mr. Fletcher before the Coroner's inquest. Evidence read by witness, as follows :— " James Fletcher, sworn, saith : I am general mining-manager for the Taupiri Coal-mines (Limited), and also certificated manager under the Coal-mines Act for Ralph's Mine. I produce a copy of the plan of Ralph's Mine. I was not in charge of the mine on the 12th September last, when the accident took place. I was incapacitated. I appointed William Gowans, the underviewer, who was a qualified man, as acting-manager, and he was approved by the Inspector of Mines. Mr. Gowans was one of the victims of the explosion. The plan produced [Exhibit A] shows the workings of the mine up to the time of the last survey three months ago to the end of June. On the day of the explosion it was an off day at the mine, and the active mining in operation was at Bond's dip, Dooley's dip, No. 6 dip, No. 6, Taupiri West section, and No. 5. There were six distinct sections in the mine being worked for coal. All the rest are areas where the coal has been taken out and only pillars left : they are old workings. The plan shows the system of ventilation of the mine. The letter "D " represents wooden doors. The deputies are thoroughly acquainted with the method of ventilating the mine. If they notice anything wrong it would be their duty to immediately report it. The practice is for the whole of the workers to go down Ralph's shaft. To comply with section 42 of the Coal-mines Act the whole of the working-