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Westport District. Goal Creek Mine (Mokihinui). —This mine is still being worked by a co-operative party, who deserve every encouragement. The working-places are well timbered, and the Coal-mines Act is being complied with. The old workings near the bins are Hearing exhaustion, and the party has constructed a tramway over half a mile long, alongside the western bank of Coal Creek, to an area south of the Knights of Labour heading. This will soon be opened up, and connected to the tramway by a surface jig, about 7 chains long, rising at a grade of lin 5. Coal will be hauled over the tramway by a petrol locomotive. Co-operative Mine (Seddonville).—The year's output was 3,430 tons. Much brassy coal is now being met in the pillar-extraction, and ere long the workable coal will be exhausted. A "creep " came on near the tunnel-mouth during October, and mining operations were suspended for over a month. This party were cleaning out the main tunnel of the old Seddonville State Mine to get to some coal left in the west section, but an underground fire occurred on the 4th December at the far end of the west workings, and, being near pillared ground, it was deemed impracticable to seal off the fire. St. Helens Mine. —This is a small mine ojiened up during the past year on the hill immediately above the railway-tunnel, between St. Helens and Seddonville. The coal is hard, and about 7 ft. thick. Six men are employed here on the co-operative principle. Westporl-Stockton Colliery. —The B section of the old mine has been idle for the greater part of the year, and the men from the C and D sections were removed to the new mine during October, owing to the shortage of labour in the latter mine. In the L section, east of C section, old mine, the seam is much folded. The " Sandcap " section of the new mine was exhausted during the year. A new motor-haulage road has been made through the stone drive to the new mine, and the pillars near the fire area are being extracted. The high-tension cables to No. 4 substation have been removed from the wooden poles alongside the haulage-road, and placed on steel poles about 5 chains back from the haulage-road. This safety precaution is being continued from No. 4 substation to the new mine. Millerton Collieries. Millerton Colliery (Mangatiua Section). —The proposed extension of the Mangatina south headings has not yet been commenced, and the output is still obtained from the small area along the eastern boundary of the lease. Old Dip Section : A crosscut going south-west has been made through the coal pillars. It is proposed to extend this drive across Granity Creek, and it will then enter a proved coal area, south of the old curved drive. Mine Creek Mine. —No air connections have yet been made to the old dip sections, but the No. 2 dip workings are near Granity Creek, and will outcrop a few chains higher up the creek than the old dip workings. Development is still proceeding in Evans section going west. A fire occurred at the Mine Creek fan-house on the 24th February, and after burning all the woodwork of the rcversing-apparatus the fire was subdued. Denniston Collieries. Ironbridge Mine. —Very little development has been done at the Ironbridge Mine during the past year. The inner shaft section has remained idle, and the new Deep Creek section, to which an endless-rope haulage-road has been made, has not been worked, the miners demanding increased tonnage rates owing to the long distance they have to travel to and from work. Kiwi Section : A few more solid places are being driven near the compressor and to the east of the old workings. Coalbrookdale Mine, (Wareatea Jig Section). —The main heading met a 15 ft. upthrow fault, and, as the coal met beyond the fault is stony, the places arc being widened out preparatory to pillar-extraction. The splitting of pillars, &c., necessary for the formation of a new rope-road is proceeding apace, but the haulage-road will not be completed for at least six months. An over-tub safety rope is now in use on the main jig in this section. Wareatea Extended Section : All the output from the Wareatea Extended was obtained from pillar-extraction. A little desultory prospecting has been done near the fault during the year, but no coal has yet been pierced beyond the fault. Cascade Mine.— Pillar-extraction is still proceeding in the No. 8 section. The ground is still very heavy, and the ventilating-currcnt, having to pass over many falls to reach the faces, is sometimes deficient in oxygen. Black-damp is occasionally reported in this section by the examining deputy. The concrete foundation of the electric power-house (to be erected near the haulage-road on the plateau) is completed. The machinery, including generators and BelhsMorcomb steam-engines, is stored near the site ready for installing. Nelson District. Puponga Mine. —The small co-operative party continued pillar-extraction in the top section, and produced 3,536 tons during the year. Only a few pillars remain to be worked. North Cape Mine. —A little solid work is still being done on the east side of the dip, but the coal is very thin and stony. The remainder of the output is from pillar-extraction. A dispute arose in May as to whether a set rider should be allowed on the main-dip haulage. Considering the steep pitch of the seam and the numerous props being set along the middle of the dip, it was decided to be an unsafe practice, and the management were notified accordingly. Fatal Accidents. Four fatalities occurred in the inspection district during the year. Archer's Freehold (Capleston).— On the 22nd February William Kirk, a miner, aged fortysix years, sustained fractured ribs and haamorrhage of the lungs by a fall of stone and coal from his working-face near the entrance to the mine. A sprag was needed, and deceased appeared to have been preparing a hitch in the floor for the sprag when the fall occurred. Three suitable sprags were lying within 20 ft. of the fall.

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