23

C.—2

(2.) Quarry Accidents. The following is a summary of persons killed or seriously injured during 1919 at stonequarries and places within the operation of the Stone-quarries'Act':—

The fatal accidents were in the proportion of o'7l per .1,000 persons employed. The nonfatal accidents were only five in number, two of which were occasioned by a splinter of rock injuring the eye of the worker whilst engaged in spawling. In the case of two serious accidents —one at Karaka Bay, St. Heliers, Auckland, and the other at Mount Somers, Canterbury—proceedings were taken by the Inspector for a breach of the law. In both instances the owners were fined for employing a foreman without a permit, and in the former case the man acting as foreman was fined for carrying on without a permit as well as for failing to notify the Inspector of an accident. Nominal penalties were asked for in each case, the main object of the prosecutions being to bring before private owners the requirements of the law. The following is a description of the fatal accident during 1919 at a quarry which is under the Stone-quarries Act: —

VII.—STATE All) TO MINING. (I.) Subsidized Prospecting. During the year ended 31st March, 1920, thirty-eight approved prospecting parties were granted subsidies amounting to £3,554 (is. Bd., of which £1,520 Is. 4d. was expended during that period,. In addition to this, £985 4s. 2d. granted during previous years was expended by five parties during the past financial year The following statement shows the total expenditure during the year ended :!lst March, 1920 :— £ s. d. Coromandel County ... ... ... .. ... 170 13 4 Thames County ... ... ... ... 292 0 0 Ohinemuri County ... ... ... ... ... 156 13 4 Wairau Road District ... ... ... ... ... 100 0 0 Takaka County ... ... ... ... ... ... 64 10 0 Buller County ... ... ... ... ... ... 51 13 4 Westland County ... ... ... ... ... ... 158 16 4 Lake County ... ... ... ... ... ... 76 10 0 Prospecting associations, &o. ... ... ... ... 1,434 9 2 Total ... ... ... ... ...£2,505 5 6

Cause of Accidont. Number ol Fatal. Accidents. Number o: Serious. Killed. Sufforors. Seriously Injured. Explosives .. Falls of ground Falling from face, or during ascent or descent Miscellaneous 1 2 1 2 1 2 I 2 Totals I 5 I 5

. „.. ,. I lame, Age, and Occupation of Person killed. Date. Name and Situation of Quarry. Description of Accident, and Remarks. 1919. Oct. 6.. Harbour Board's Quarry, Rangit o t o Island, Auckland J a m c s Arrol (29), labourer Stone from this quarry was loaded into a box which was lifted by a hand-winch. The jib which carried the haulingpujley was stayed by one end of the radius-chain to a vertical post. On taking the weight one of the links of the radius-chain broke, allowing the jib to fall on this man, who had been engaged loading the box. The Board's Engineer stated that this chain had been regarded as a tie and had not been regularly annealed, although inspected daily when the pulley was oiled. At the, inquest a verdict was returned that deceased met his death through an injury to his skull caused by a falling derrick, and that there was not sufficient evidence to show how or when the flaw was occasioned in the link of the supporting chain.