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ventilation, however, were maintained throughout the year. As formerly, the Inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported favourably on the condition of the pit horses and ponies at Kaitangata mines. Benhar Coal-mine, Stirling. —Seam to dip troubled and faulted. An inflow of water from overlying old workings had occurred, but not so as to endanger workmen. A borehole had been put up in the roof, and water was almost drained off. Stevenson's Collieries, Stirling. —Oil-engine and small exhaust fan procured for ventilation. New powder-magazine made near the mine for storage of 1,500 lb. of explosives. Phillip's Coal-mine, Pukerau.- A small lignite-mine recently opened. Miller Bros.' Goal-mine, Pukerau. —A small lignite-mine recently opened. Whiterigg Goal-mine, East Gore. —Seam of lignite strong, and worked safely. Green's Coed-mine, Gore. —The new air-shaft at near working-faces was acting well. Venti-lating-fan and oil-engine for drive being erected. Bushy Park Coal-mine, Gore. —Working suspended. Burnwell Coal-mine, North Chat.ton.—A small output mined for local use. Ramsay's Coal-mane, North Chatton. —Output raised for consumption in the district. Glenlee Goal-mine, Waikaka,. —An opencast pit being converted to underground mining. Greenvale Coal-mine, Waikaka. —A small mine worked intermittently. Pyramid Coal-mine, Riversdale. —After a considerable amount of prospecting, work is again discontinued. Rossvale Coal-mine, Waikaia.. —-Pillars robbed and work now being directed to the dip area. Waikaia Coal-mine, Waikaia. —Mine closed ; work suspended. Argyle Goal-mine, Waikaia. —Opencast seam. 15 ft. of lignite. Stripping kept, well ahead by sluicing away with water. Waikaia Oil-shale Development Company, Muddy Terrace. —Negotiations still pending for working and plant for reduction of shale-seam known to occur on the property. Princhester Creek Goal-mine. The Key. —Opencast pit. Coal difficult to win, but a boon to the district. Mataura Collieries, Mataura. —Ventilating-current not strong, but air clear and good; stentons well bratticed ; shot-firing conducted at end of shift. Mataura Lignite-m.ine, Mataura. —Ventilation fairly well conducted by brattice. Heatherlee Coal-mine, Waimumu. —Small private pit. Work suspended. Torrie Andrew, Waimumu. —A small opencast pit worked for local use. Ota Creek, Wyndham. —Opencast working for the requirements of the district. Clarke's Coal-mine, Wyndham. —An opencast pit worked intermittently. Nightcaps No. 1 Mine, Nightcaps. —The remaining pillars having been extracted to the outcrop, this mine, of long standing, is finished and abandoned. A few men were engaged in the "Resin " seam (4ft.) drawing pillars, as also in Lloyd's dip section, where the seam ranged from 5 ft. to 7 ft. in thickness. Ventilation here was inadequate owing to misfit brattice in certain places, as pointed out to the mine-manager, as also ambulance kits, which were not as well cared for as might have been expected. The management subsequently wrote that these matters had been rectified. Nightcaps No. 2 Mine, Nightcaps. —Opencast and underground mining continued satisfactorily. This mine now contributes the larger portion of output from this company's mines. Black, Diamond Coal-mine, Nightcaps. —Natural ventilation rapidly becoming inadequate, and a fan was to be obtained. Systematic timbering to roof also required for safety of workmen, as pointed out to and promised by the mine-manager. Burndale Goal-mine, Nightcaps. —Operations suspended meantime. Goaldale Coal-mine, Nightcaps. —Prospecting by driving had not been successful. Boringoperations now being conducted for location and thickness of seam. New Brighton Coal-mine. Wairio. —Small ventilating-fan in use to be replaced by a larger Sirocco fan, which was on order. Effective timbering conducted to working-faces. Wairio Coal-mine, Wairio. —Ventilation inadequate in the small seam, and the large seam required to be systematically timbered. The mine-manager subsequently wrote to say that these matters had been attended to. McKenzie and Sheddan's Coal-mine, Nightcaps. —-This lease is now incorporated with that held by the owners of Wairio Coal-mine, both being worked as one property. The Willow Coal-mine, Nightcaps. —An opencast pit, hitherto worked on a small scale, but now being prospected with a view to operations being extended. Wairaki Coal-mine, Nightcaps.— Emissions of inflammable gas with ignitions after .shottiring having been reported, it was decided by the Chief Inspector of Mines and myself that naked lights should be withdrawn and safety-lamps only substituted, with permitted explosives. 1 subsequently wrote the mine-manager, and in reply received his assurance that the statutory requirements would be fulfilled, the mine being closed down pending the installation of safety precautions as submitted. Beaumont Coed-mine, Nightcaps. —Operations continue to be suspended; the pit remained filled with water from Ohai Stream. Mossbank Coal-mine, Nightcaps. —Worked as partly opencast and partly by underground mining. Ventilation fair.