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APPENDIX B.

REPORTS RELATING TO THE INSPEOTION OF COAL-MINES. The Inspecting Engineer of Minus to the Under-Secretary of Minus. Sir,--- Wellington. 11th May, [916. 1 have the honour to present my tenth annual report, together with statistical information. in regard to the coal-mines of the Dominion, for the year ended 31st December, 1915. The report is divided into the following sections : I. Output of Mineral. 11. Persons employed. 111. Accidents. IV. The Coal-mines Acts and Regulations. V. General Remarks. Annexures — (a.) Examination of Colliery Officials, and List of Certificate-holders, (6.) Statistics of Working Collieries.

SECTION I.—OUTPUT. The output of the several classes of coal mined, in each inspection direct is summarized as follows :—

The deorease in output is due principally to .a shortage of miners, the number having been reduced by 578 during 1915, owing chiefly to enlistment. The decrease in output has not, however, been proportional to the reduction in the number of miners employed : thus there has been a falling-off in the average number of persons employed to the extent of 13 per cent., whereas the reduction in output has been only 3 per cent. The quantity of coal imported during 1915 amounted to 353,471 tons, being 164,599 tons less than that imported during the previous year. This decrease may be attributed, to the abnormal conditions at present existing in the industries of the Empire.

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Output of Coal during 1915. Class of Coal. j Total Output to the Northern West Coast , Southern t ml n< * °' 1915District. District. Distriot. total. _L ! I I _ ... _ Bituminous and semi-bitu-minous coal Pitch-coal Brown coal Lignite, Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. 118,780 1,149,160 ... 1,267,940 j 25,246,582 129,834 6,626 136,460 2,132,052 .138,270 .... 386,731 725,001 12,491,312 3,365 ... 75,858 79,223 j 1,963,090 Totals for 1915 ... j 460,415 ; 1,278,994 469,215 2,208,624 41,833,036 Totals for 1914 ... 440,453 1,351,182 483,958 2,275,593 39,624,412