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APPENDIX B. REPORTS RELATING TO THE INSPECTION OF COAL-MINES. The Inspecting Engineer and Chief Inspector op Coal-mines to the Under-Secretary op Mines. Sir, —■ Wellington, 26th May, 1926. 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, 1925, 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.) List of Mines required by Law to use Permitted Explosives. (c.) List of Mines required by Law to use Safety-lamps. (d.) Dangerous Occurrences. (e.) Electricity at Collieries. (/.) 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 gross output of coal for 1925 showed an increase of 31,788 tons over the output of the previous year. The increase was wholly due to the increased production of brown coal, which was 72,408 tons in excess of the output of brown coal for the preceding year, the bituminous coal produced being 40,278 tons less than for 1924. The coal-market was dull during most of the year, and short time was worked in almost all mines. For all classes of coal the combined capacity of the mines is well ahead of the demand, and particularly so in the case of brown coal. There was comparative freedom from stoppages due to industrial trouble during the year. Mining by co-operative parties continues to be carried, on to a considerable extent in the Greymouth, Westport, and Huntly districts, and in some eases continues to be very profitable to the parties,
Output of Coal during 1925. , —- Total Output Class of Coal. j to the Northern District West Coast District Southern District m * i End of 1925. (North Island). (South Island). (South Island). lotals. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Bituminous and sub-bituminous 131,540 913,186 .. 1,044,726 37,983,397 Brown .. .. .. 540,863 37,771 332,791 911,425 19,901,452 Lignite .. .. .. .. 439 158,405 158,844 3,834,494 Totals for 1925 .. 672,403 951,396 j 491,196 2,114,995 61,719,343 Totals for 1924 .. 637,525 990,612 J 455,070 2,083,207 59,604,348
„ Total Quantity of | Total Quantity of Year. Coal produced. Coal imported. Coal produced and , Year. Coal produced. Coal Imported.' Coal produced and imported. i imported. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. 1911 .. 2,066,073 188,068 2,254,141 1919 .. 1,847,848 391,434 2 239 282 1912 .. 2,177,615 364,359 2,541,974 1920 .. 1,843,705 476,343 2,320,048 1913 .. 1,888,005 468,940 2,356,945 1921 .. 1,809,095 822,459 2 631554 1914 .. 2,275,614* 518,070 2,793,684* 1922 .. 1,857,819 501,478 2,359,297 1915 .. 2,208,624 353,471 2,562,095 1923 .. 1,969,834 445,792 2,415 626 1916 .. 2,257,135 293,956 2,551,091 1924 .. 2,083,207 674,483 2,757,690 1917 .. 2,068,419 291,597 2,360,016 1925 .. 2,114,995 572,573 2 687,568 1918 .. 2,034,250 255,332 2,289,582 * Includes 21 tons of shale.