a—2
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inspection of such piaces is performed without extra salary by officials of the Public Works Department and Inspectors of Mines resident in the districts where the quarries, &c. are situated. The inspection of stone-quarries does not come under my control. Since the Stone-quarries Act, 1910, came into operation I have only heard of one prosecution thereunder. The number of fatal accidents during 1915 was six, causing the' loss of seven lives, being in the proportion of 4-45 lives lost per thousand persons employed -a very high proportion indeed. The following is a summary of persons killed or seriously injured during 1915 at stone quarries and places within the operation of the Stone-quarries Act:—
The following are details of the fatal quarry accidents during 1915 :
VII. STATE AID TO MINING. (i.) Subsidized Prospecting. During the year ended the 31st March, 1916, thirty-four approved prospecting parties were granted subsidies amounting to £5,151 Bs. 4d., of which £2,736 17s. Ild. was expended during that period. In addition to this, £1,1.11 Is. granted during previous years was expended by twenty parties during the past financial yeai. The following statement shows the total expenditure during the year ended the 31st March, 1916, on authorities issued previous to that date, in subsidies to prospecting associations and parties of miners in the different counties :— », , ~ „ Expenditure. Name of Oounty, &c. |> -, Rotorua County .. .. .. .. .. .. 26 0 0 Coromandel County .. .. .. .. . . . . 101 5 0 Ohinemuri County .. .. .. .. .. 152 5 0 Pelorus Road Board .. .. .. . . . . . . 131 6 8 Inangahu County .. .. .. .. .. .. 387 5 0 Murohison County .. .. .. .. . . . . 48 0 0 Grey County .. '.. .. .. .. .. .. 52 0 0 Westland County .. .. .. . . .. .. 513 13 0 Ross Borough .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 0 0 Tuapeka County .. .. .. .. .. .. 100 0 0 Prospecting associations, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 2,386 10 3 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. £3,908 411 Altogether thirty-six prospecting parties, employing eighty-six persons, have during 1915 been engaged upon subsidized prospecting operations, and, although no discovery of much commercial value has been made, ground has been proved in a few instances which may be. profitably worked. The following is a table prepared by the Inspectors of Mines who have inspected the subsidized operations : —
Cause of Accident. Number oi Accidents. Number of Sufferers. Fatal. Serious. Killed. S T er ! 0U!j y Injured. Explosives .. Falls of ground Machinery .. Haulage Miscellaneous 2 2 3 12 1 7 5 3 3 2 12 I 2 7 5 2 Totals 6 28 7 28 7
Name of Deceased. . , Date of Accident. Place of Accident. Cause of Accident. 1 James A. Green .. Alfred Bugden Frederick Saul Patrick Twomey . . John Kyle John Chalmers J. Bryne Jan. 6 April 30 June 18 July 2 Sept. 12 Oct, 12 Patutahi Quarry .. Premature explosion of gelignite, Otira Railway Tunnel Crushed between trucks on tramway. ,, ; Premature explosion of gelignite. Oobden Quarry . . ] Fall of stone. Otira Railway Tunnel Fall of earth. ,, Crushed by electric locomotive.