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Date. Name and Situation of Name Age, and Occupation Colliery. of Person killed. Description of Accident, and Remarks. 1919. 4 Aug. !(i Aug. Homebush Colliery, Glentunnel Brighton Colliery, Brighton John Penman (39), miner Robert William Smith (53), miner On the 2nel August a fall of claystone roof occurred in No. 1. right-hand level, which was driven 18 ft. wide, in a 3 ft. 6 in. coal - seam. By direction of the mine - manager, Mr. David Kane, this fall had been removed on the morning of the 4th August, the stone therefrom being used to build a pillar about 7 ft. square on the rise side of the roadway, and eighteen props with cap-pieces had been put up on the rise side eif the roadway ; no bars were used. A large loose stone was supported at one end by the built pillar, and elsewhere by four props. On this elay two miners, A. Smith and O. F. Simpson, who worked at the face of the level, stated respectively to the deputy (Thomas Burt) anel to the, manager, that the place required attention and was unsafe, as the roof was " working." The two latter thought the place was safe, and the deputy passed the men in to work in the level. About 5.15 p.m. two miners, John Penman and John Simpson, who had fired a shot at the leift-hanel face of the same level, were passing under the aforesaid large stone on their way back to their working-place when the stone fell upon Penman, killing him at once, the props under the stone being thrown aside. The jury at the inquest considered the evidence too conflicting to warrant them finding any person negligent. In connection with this fatality legal proceedings were taken by the Inspector of Mines against Messrs. David Kane, mine-manager, and Thomas Burt, fireman-deputy, for a contravention of section 40, subsection (9), of the Coal-mines Act, 1908, in that the place of the accielent had not been securely protected and made safe for persons employed therein. Each defendant was convicted and fined £5 Is. and £3 3s. costs. Proceedings were also taken against the mine-owners, the Homebush Brick and Coal Company (Limited), for failure to comply with the same section of the Coal-mines Act. The company was convicted and lined £2 and costs. He was an experienced miner and was working in No. I section in an untimbered heading about 6 ft. wide and 5$ ft. high. The certificated manager, Mr. David McNeill, who that day acted also as examining deputy and trucker, stated at the inquest that in the morning he inspected the place and, considering it safe, passed the deceased into the place to work, although a piece of roof-stone had fallen eluring the previous night. He also stated that later during the morning he instructed deceaseel to take down some loose overhead stone, in the afternoon he again visited the place, anel, finding that his instructions had not been obeyed, ho then emphatically told deceased to take the loose stone clown at once. He then left the place, to elo some trucking without seeing his orders carried out. A few minutes later a slab of roof-stone, weighing about half a ton, fell upon deceased, causing injuries from which he, expired shortly afterwards. In this mine timber was used only intermittently ; the Inspector of Mines did not insist upon systematic timbering, as the drives were narrow. The Coroner held no person blameworthy. It is unfortunate that the manager was too preoccupied with his trucking to remain with deceased and see his orders obeyed. In connection with this fatality legal proceedings were, taken by the Inspector of Mines against Mr. David McNeill, mine-manager, for a, breach of Special Rule 21 for failing to withdraw deceased from an unsafe, working-place. The defendant was convicted, and fineel £5 anil costs £3 10s. ; likewise, under section 7 of the Coal-mines Ameneltnent Act of 1914, his certificate was suspended for seven elays. With two mates he was employed in Mundy's dip section at pillar-extraction. They were taking down hoael coal by the retreating method, and to elo so a shot had been fired at the lip by a fireman-deputy. Before and after firing the place had been cxamineei and considered safe by the fireman-deputy. The height to the coal roof was about 14 ft. A 12 ft. weiodcn pole with an iron ferrule was provided for sounding the roof, but no ladder was available for testing the roof and sides with a pick. Some hours after firing, while the men were filling the fallen coal at the gob sielo of the lip whore the roof was unsupported, another fall of coal occurred, nearly covering deceased and inflicting injuries from which lie sucoumbed the same day. The roof was only partly sounded by deceased and a mate shortly before the fall, and they evidently considered it safe. At the inquest which followed the Coroner helel no person to bo blameworthy. The operation of filling coal in high and unsupported places outside the lip during pillar-extraction by the retreating method is one of the. most hazardous operations in connection with coal-mining in New Zealand, and it is necessary that the roof shall be frequently and efficiently examined. In this case it was not. 8 Nov. Kaitangata No. 1 Colliery, Kaitangata Robert Grundy (38), miner