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Tl. PERSONS EMPLOYED. The following statement shows the number of persons ordinarily employed in or about the metalliferous mines of the Dominion during the year :-

111. ACCIDENTS. The following is a summary of persons killed or seriously injured in metalliferous mines during 1915 :—

Table showing Number of Deaths from Accidents at New Zealand Metal-mines and Dredges during Ten Years 1906 to 1915 (inclusive).

During the past ten years the proportion of fatal accidents at metal-mines per 1,000 persons employed has averaged 1-32. From the table describing the fatal mining accidents it will be seen that two fatalities may be attributed to absence of care by mine officials —viz., in the cases of Hugh McQuillan, at Ross Mine, and James Walker, at the Lake Hochsteller Water-race. In the case of Alfred Stone, killed at the Talisman Mine, the evidence given at the inquest showed that the deceased and his mate had exceeded the maximum number of shots (six) at one time, as provided by the regulations; there was no evidence, however, to show that the accident was due to such negligence. The fatalities to David Kennedy, Max Oertmann, and James Lanini were due to the sufferers working in dangerous situations which more careful men would have avoided. The remaining four fatal accidents may be classed as unprcventable by regulations or by reasonable supervision, although some suspicion may be attached to the gelignite which killed John P. Voeasivitch and Alfred Stone on different occasions at the Talisman Mine. During 1915 there occurred six fatal accidents by which seven lives were lost, and seven other serious but not fatal accidents, all by premature explosion of gelignite at our coal and metal mines

Inspeotion Distric it. Southern. Total, 1915. Classification. Northern. West Coast. aold, silver, and scheelite ... 1,870 1,356 Cinnabar fin ... ... ... 6 921 44 ' 6 4,149 44 6 6 Copper Total lor 1915 ... 1,876 1,356 Total for 1914 1,976 1,380 1,356 1,380 971 1,114 4,205 4,470 The decrease in the number of persons employed may, to a considoi enlistment for military service. , to a considerable extent, be attributed to

ran t iMisoellane- ,,,._, Explosions. * alls °j In Shafts, ous Under- Surface. *7' Ground. ground. Dredges. Inapeotion Diitriot. I. . !— £■6 ' Sfra £*e >-tj >.^ . to ill • Oi qj ■ t/I Oi QJ • D O • ;/, QJ IS s *- •« P S *o a* t OP£i *3 3 *- T3 3 h o ,0 . w o ( S °. 3 Jh °. J- °. J2 ° 3 — *C '5* r- ' *E *£* J5 'S 'c* ."t; "C "q* 5 'C p" 'C '5* _ Northern ... ... 2 4 2 2 1 ... 1 West Coast ... I 8 I 1 1 1 Southern ... 1 1 ... 2 Totals ... ... 2 4 4 5 1 ... 2 1 1 j 1 2 I I Total. >>irj ID 03 ■° si 3 t'o w i a w 6 6 3 5 1 2 10 13 a 6 6 3 5 1 2 10 13 2 Being at the rate of 238 fatalities per 1,000 persons employed.

Cause of Aooident. 1906. 1907. 1908. | 1909. i 1910. ; 1911. 1912. 1913. 1914. 1915. I I " | Explosion Fall of ground ... in shafts MiscellaneousUnderground On surface .. About dredges .. 3 3 1 1 6 2 8 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 5 1 2 "i i fi 3 8 1 •I 4 I "a 3 2 6 1 1 5 2 "a 4 "a 2 ""a "a 2 1 1 Total killed 14 Number of employees ... 8,716 Number of persons killed T60 per 1,000 employed 7 9,389 084 15 14 15 ;8,880 7,651 8,121 1-69 183 '<■ 1'84 5 5 7,400 5,239 I 067 0'95 10 6 4,941 4,470 2 02 1-34 10 4,205 238 I , I