C—2
62
The following statement shows the tons of coal and shale raised, persons employed, lives lost, &c, from 1878 to 1915 :—
'■■•'? IV. -THE COAL-MINES ACTS AND REGULATIONS. On the 26th June new regulations under the Coal-mines Act were gazetted. These regulations embrace much of those already in force, and al,so incorporated a considerable proportion of the British regulations contained in an Order (No. 748) dated 10th July, 1910, pertaining to the conduct of persons employed in mines ; the use of stationary electric lamps ; winding-ropes ; signalling ; explosives, including permitted explosives ; safety-lamps ; change-house and bath-houses ; ambulance ; mechanical ventilating-applianccs ; prevention of the inflammation of coaldust; and electricity. The regulations have, at the time of writing, been in operation nearly a year, and I believe that, while not increasing the cost of production of coal to any appreciable extent, they have tended to greater security of life andjproperty, while greatly assisting the Inspectors of Mines in the performance of their duties. During the year only two important cases of litigation under the safety provisions of the Coalmines Act occurred. The first of these was in connection with the. inspection of old workings (traversable standing pillar areas) at Ralph's Colliery, Huntly. The following is a brief summary of this case : The Royal Commission in connection with the explosion at Ralph's Colliery on the 12th September, 1914, by which forty-three lives were lost, reported on the 30th October following that the explosion
Year. Output. Pen Above. ions employed. Below. Total. ] i Tons raised per - each Per- , . , son em ™f\** c ployed Un- L,fe lo8t ' | derground. Persons Lives lost employed ; Tho p U8and emp^ed. . [ Number of Deaths. L. I I !_ ! i j i r Prior 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 ... ... I ... j 709,931 162,218 231,218 299,923 337,262 378,272 421,764 480,831 511,063 534,353 558,620 613,895 586,445 637,397 668,794 673,315 691,548 719,546 726,654 792,851 840,713 907,033 975,234 1,093,990 1,239,686 1,365,040 1,420,229 1,537,838 1,585,756 1,729,536 1,831,009 1.860,975 1,911,247 2,197,362 2,066,073 2,177,615 1,888,005 2,275,614 2,208,624 147 361 393 338 392 388 414 466 512 416 485 590 506 525 590 531 556 554 617 688 803 717 763 833 1,174 1,143 992 1,159 1,136 1,365 1,130 1,053 1,176 1,050 366 513 802 1,038 963 1,043 888 ; 1,249 890 ' 1,283 1,145 l 1,483 1,213 i 1,605 1,111 1,499 1,275 ! 1,689 1,251 : 1,717 1,334 '■ 1,846 1,277 ■ 1,693 1.196 1,681 1,298 1,888 1,393 1,899 1,274 1,799 1,347 1,937 1,381 1,912 1,447 i 2,003 ! 1,599 2,153 1,843 2,460 2,066 , 2,754 2,082 j 2,885 2,135 I 2,852 2,525 I 3,288 2,436 3,269 ! 2,518 ; 3,692 2,767 3,910 2,902 . 3,894 3,032 I 4,191 3,463 i 4,599 , 2,925 i 4,290 3,198 : 4,328 , 3.197 ! 4,250 3,558 4,734 3,106 4,156 443 * 4,635 149,961 ... 337,262 189,136 475 ', 210,882 540 ! 160,277 456 170,354 440 * 503 139,655 481 153,474 468 146,611. 177 : 79,674 523 ; 167,198 563 ! 673,315 533 138,309 516 119,924 618 145,331 588 12,013 609 210,178 627 ! 907,033 609 I 325,078 593 273,497 600 : 413,228 655 682,520 665 ! 355,057 609 ! 384,459 651 i 264,293 687 I 288,256 662 152,584 641 : 372,195 633 ; 273,035 634 ! 137,335 706 ! 147,577 681 241,975 590 314,667 639 ! 46,441 711 245,403 * * 23 44-00 519 ' 1-92 963 104 521 ! 1-91 624 1-60 421 2-34 494 | 2-01 375 : 2-66 422 : 2-36 313 '■■ 2-37 231 4-33 423 2-36 1,681 ' 0-66 377 [ 2 64 316 316 360 3-33 29 34-07 ! 478 2-09 2,003 0-49 i 717 1-39 ; 615 1-62 918 1-09 1,443 ! 0-69 713 1-40 822 1-21 546 1-83 615 1-62 326 3-07 778 ! 1-28 | 599 1-79 283 3-55 306. 3-26 355 ! 2-08 708 1-38 96 10-35 : 462 216 o 351 2 1 2 2 3 3 0 4 4 4 8 4 1 5 6 5 66] i 8 2 4 4 6 6 12 7 16 14 9 6 49* 9 Totals... | j 41,847,479 i "_\_ "__ 319 \ j l_ * No life 1 explosion. lost. t Year o. Kaitangs ,ta explosi. in. .[ Year of Brunner explosion § Year of Ralph's Huntly)