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APPENDIX B. KEPORTS RELATING TO THE INSPECTION OF COAL-MINES. The Inspecting Engineer and Chief Inspector of Coal-mines to the Under-Secretary of Mines. Sir,— Wellington, 24th July, 1924. I have the honour to present my annual report, together with statistical information, in regard to coal-mines of the Dominion for the year ended 31st December, 1923, in accordance with section 78 of the Coal-mines Act, 1908. The report is divided into the following sections :— I. Output. 11. Persons employed. 111. Accidents. IV. Working of the Coal-mines Act— (a.) Permitted Explosives. (b.) Dangerous Occurrences, (c.) Electricity at Collieries. (d.) Prosecutions. V. Legislation affecting Coal-mining. Annexures — A. Summary of Annual Reports by Inspectors of Mines. B. Colliery Statistics.

SECTION I.—OUTPUT. The output of the several classes of coal mined in each inspection district is summarized as follows :—

The following is a table showing the annual production of coal and the quantity of coal imported since 1911 :—

The output of coal for 1923 showed an increase of 112,015 tons over that for the previous year. The increase was wholly in the production of brown coal, which was 150,027 tons in excess of the production for 1922. Bituminous coal showed a reduction of 32,741 tons, due to the industrial trouble which stopped most of the West Coast mines for the last three months of the year, and lignite a reduction of 5,271 tons, due to a lessened demand for this class of coal. Ample supplies of coal were available for all purposes till the stoppage occurred on .the. West Coast.. The combined capacity of the mines is now ahead of the demands, particularly in regard to mines producing brown coal or lignite. At some of the latter short time was worked through inability to dispose of the output. Mining by co-operative parties continues to be carried on to a considerable extent, and in some cases has proved very profitable to the parties engaged therein.

Output of Coal during 1923. Total Output to the End of 1923. Class of Coal. Northern District (North Island). Tons. 126,118 507,747 West Coast District Southern District (South Island). (South Island). Tons. Tons. 809,579 38,710 313,903 740 173,037 Totals. Tons. 935,697 860,360 173,777 Tons. 35,853,667 18,151,010 3,516,464 Bituminous and semi-bituminous Brown Lignite Totals for 1.923 ■ 033,865 849,029 486,940 486,940 1,969,834 57,521,141 Totals for 1922 520,153 879,983 457,683 1,857,819 55,551,307

Year. Coal produced. Coal imported. Total Quantity of Coal produced and imported. Year. Coal produced. Coal imported. Total Quantity of Coal produced and imported. 1911 .. 1912 .. 1913 .. 1914 .. 1915 .. 1916 .. 1917 .. Tons. 2,066,073 2,177,615 1,888,005 2,275,593 2,208,624 2,257,135 2,068,419 Tons. 188,068 364,359 468,940 518,070 353,471 293,956 291,597 Tons. 2,254,141 2,541,974 2,356,945 2,793,663 2,562,095 2,551,091 2,360,016 1918 .. 1919. .. 1920 .. 1921 .. 1922 .. 1923 .. Tons. 2,034,250 1,847,848 1,843,705 1,809,095 1,857,819 1,969,834 Tons. 255,332 391,434 476,343 822,459 501,478 445,792 Tons. 2,289,582 2,239,282 2,320,048 2,031,554 2,359,297 2,415,020