C.—2

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ANNEXURE C.

STONE QUARRIES. Summary of Report by Inspector of Quarries for the North Island (Mr. James Newton). During inspection I have found that generally operations have been carried on in a reasonably safe manner and with due regard to the requirements of the law. Much improvement has been noticeable, especially with regard to keeping down the dust at the crushers; and in a number of quarries, where the industry is operated on anything like permanency, axial water-feed drills have been installed in order to comply with Regulation 64. With regard, however, to this latter matter—i.e., the use of water-feed drills when boring in surface quarries—l am of the opinion that the regulation as it now stands is too mandatory, for in many cases, and especially in quarries that only operate intermittently and for only a few weeks in the year, I find that the quarries are so situated that it would be necessary to install long ranges of pipe-line or else install pumping machinery. It has to be remembered that in order to be efficient it is necessary that the water be delivered to the drill with a sufficient pressure to wash the drilling out of the hole. In very many cases this cannot be accomplished without a good deal of expense and at a price prohibiting the working of the quarry altogether. It is well to remember that surface boring is altogether different to underground boring, where the space is confined between four walls and where the ventilation is somewhat sluggish. In surface quarries if the driller is careful he can generally place himself in such a position when boring that the movement of the atmosphere will carry the dust from him. Another objection to the compulsory use of water under pressure in drill-holes is that where the ground is shattered and very jointy, such as the stone around about Auckland, the water loosens the shattered pieces of stone and they fall into the drill-hole behind the bit, in consequence of which the drill cannot be removed from the hole, and has to remain there until another hole is drilled and fired in order to loosen the stone. I have had many complaints to this effect from owners who have installed the drills in quarries about Auckland. In my opinion I think it would be better if Regulation 64, with regard to surface quarries, was altered to give the Inspector discretionary powers. lam also of the opinion that in very many cases a dust-shield can be advantageously used to prevent the dust from rising in the air. I have on several occasions experimented with such a screen, and it has acted admirably. The shield is simply a piece of any light material through which the drill works, and is placed about 3 in. above the top of the hole, and as the dust rises out of the hole it strikes the shield which prevents its rising into the air ; of course, where it is reasonably practicable, and where the water can be had, and where the stone is suitable, the Inspector should still have the right to demand that it shall be used when boring. The output of stone for all purposes has been materially increased. Compared with the year 1924, the Auckland Province shows an inorease of 7*5,565 tons, the Wellington Province 14,606 tons, Hawke's Bay 1,663 tons, and Taranaki 8,849 tons. The quarries operated show an increase of twenty-three, whilst the increase of persons employed is 219. A good deal of clerical work has been entailed in connection with answering correspondence from numerous applicants wishing to be examined for quarry-managers or foremen's permits, and a fair amount of time has been spent in the examination of candidates. The examinations have been conducted in the various districts on the occasion of my inspection visits, and have been held at the most convenient time and place to suit the candidates, who mostly have been found to be married men with families, and who are dependent on daily wages for their support, and could ill afford to lose working-time or incur expenses for travel. Some have elected to travel to Auckland, but not many. I regret that the year under review has not been free from distressing fatalities and other serious accidents. On the 30th July a Maori workman named Rehu Ngarimu, employed in the Hemo Gorge Quarry, Rotorua, whilst engaged stripping the loose earth away from the top of the quarry fell over the face of the quarry and injured his spine, which injury resulted in his death in the Rotorua Hospital on the 18th August. On the 7th December, a quarryman named Edward Long met with an accident in an abandoned quarry known as " Whitneys," Normanby Road, Mount Eden, Auckland. He apparently had been working by himself when he was injured in the head. He died three days later, the cause of death being toxaemia, due to acute meningitis following a fractured skull, death resulting after operation in the Auckland Hospital. It was quite impossible to say positively what caused the accident, seeing that he was operating alone. On the 10th October, a tunneller received a broken leg in the Arapuni Diversion Tunnel (W. Tcrvit). He and his mates were handling heavy timber and a piece rolled on to his leg and caused a simple break above the ankle. On the 16th November a tunneller named James Sproul received a broken leg in tho Arapuni Diversion Tunnel. He was walking along the floor of the tunnel at the change of shifts when he accidentally stumbled into one of the openings between the sections of concrete on the floor of the tunnel, the opening being 3 ft. wide and 2 ft. deep.