C.—2

46

Go-operative Parties Scott and Party's Mine, Blackball.—Work has continued steadily at this mine throughout the year. Boustridge and Party's Mine, Brunnerton.—During the year the slipped country adjacent to the mine commenced to move, so it was considered advisable to abandon the mine. Allen and Party s Mine, Brunnerton. This party, consisting of seven men, has successfully worked a part of the old Brunner lease. The seam is 11 ft. in height, and is of good quality. .During the year the party obtained the lease of three coke-ovens to the Tyneside Proprietary ( Limited), and are at present turning out 2 tons of coke per day. Armstrong and Party.—Development in this mine has been in an easterly direction. Pillar-extraction to the rise in the north-western portion of the lease has been commenced. Nine men were employed continuouslv throughout the year. J Moody Greek Mine (Simpson and Party) .—Prospecting operations having disclosed an outcrop of coal 9 ft. in thickness further up the Seven-mile Creek, the tram-line was extended (i chains in this direction. The coal is of good quality. The seam rises steeply and bears evidence of being disturbed by faulting. Nine men are employed. Hunter and Party's Mine.—The main incline is being extended in a northerly direction. The coal has thinned to 2 ft. 10 in. at the face. To the east of the main incline an upthrow has been struck, and coalwinning operations in this direction have been suspended. Ten men are employed. Brae Head Mine (Boote and Party).—Development in this mine is proceeding north-easterly. Going east the seam has thinned to 6 ft. Ten men are employed. Hillside Mine (Clarke and Party).—The output from this mine has been won from pillars. Nine men are employed. Mclvor and Party's Mine.—Trouble caused by water and faulting compelled the party to abandon the old dip workings, and a new dip was started in a south-westerly direction. A main level broken off this dip is showing 9 ft. 6 in. of clean, hard coal. Pour men are employed. Baddeley and Party's Mine.—Development still continues to the rise. Eight men were employed continuously throughout the year. Manderson and Party's Mine. —The major portion of the coal produced during the year has been from pillar-extraction. A borehole put down near Coal Creek has assisted in lowering the water in the bottom seam, and a start has been made to extend the workings to the dip. Ten men are employed. Smith and Party's Mim.—Al\ the available coal to the rise having been extracted, a stone drive was put in 6 chains south-west of the old mine to strike the old No. 1 State mine-workings. The seam is split by a stone band 2 ft. to 3 ft. in thickness. Two places are working, and eight men are employed. Duggan and Party's Mine, Rewanui.—During the year the bulk of the coal was won from the Compressor seam. A new jig-road was surveyed and constructed from the top seam to the new bin. During the early part of the year slackness in the coal trade severely handicapped this party. Seven men are employed. Spark and Party's Mine.—Development during the year has been confined to the rise workings of No. 1 level. The party having engaged the services of a certificated mine-manager, the number of workmen has been increased to twelve. McNeil's Mine, Rapahoe (Twelve-mile Bluff, Greymouth-Barrytown Road). —This small mine, commenced operations during the year. The seam varies from 4 ft. to 5 ft. in thickness, and is split by a stone band varying from 1 in. to 4 in. in thickness. The coal is conveyed by motor-lorry to the railway-station at Rapahoe. Pour men are employed. Inangahua District. Reefton Goal Company's Mine, Burke's Greek.—A drive 9 chains to the dip has proved the existence of a 20 ft. seam of good-quality coal. On the western side, however, the coal has pinched, and will require further prospecting. In the old dip section a considerable amount of coal was won from pillars. Heating in this section was noticed early in the year, but after the removal of some pillars the heating gradually disappeared. During the Christmas holidays a fire broke out in a totally different portion of the section, but was effectivelysealed off, all the pillars having been extracted. Preen's jig section is now closed. Two pairs of colliers are engaged on pillar-extraction in the Anzac section. During the summer months a bush-fire that had been lit to clear land near Capleston spread over what is known as the " Short Track," some three miles to the south-western boundary of the Reefton Goal Company's lease, where it came in contact and set fire to some old workings. Calliope Mine.—All mining operations have been suspended pending the erection of an aerial tramway. Phoenix and Venus Mine.—Pour men have been constantly engaged during the year. A 2-ton lorry has replaced the horse teams used to convey the coal to the Reefton Railway-station. On Monday, the 21st August, a fire broke out in the upper portion of the mine. All attempts to seal off the workings failed, and the mine was abandoned. It is the intention of the owners to open out on another portion of the lease. Golden Point Mine, Reefton. —All coal-winning operations have been suspended during the year. New Big River Mine, Big River.—All main levels have been stopped in faulted country, and the coal is being stoped on the retreating system. All coal won has been supplied to the New Big "River Gold-mining Company (Limited) for power purposes. Morrisvale Coal-mine (late Morris and Learmont's). —Practically no development-work has been done at this mine during the year, work having been confined to the splitting of pillars. To the west of the present workings the coal is on fire. The main level driven in a south-easterly direction has reached a fault. A short flume has been constructed to the No. 3 seam, and one or two working-faces opened out. All the work at this mine is being carried out on the co-operative contract system. Empire Mine.—No coal has been won from this mine during the year. Glele Mine, Merrijigs.—The tramway from the end of the flume has been completed, and the coal is now being conveyed by a specially constructed motor-truck to the Taipoiti Railway-station. Development proving the coal to be faulted and stony, pillar-extraction has been started. Ferndale-Timaru Goal Company's Mine, Burke's Greek.—Owing to slackness of trade the production of coal from this mine has fallen off considerably. All development-work to the dip has been suspended. All pillars having been extracted from No. 4 seam in Lockington's area, the mine has been closed down. Pillar-extraction is being carried out in the rise workings in Lishman's area by a small party of co-operative miners. Woodlands Mine, Burke's Greek. —This mine has remained closed during the year. Lanlcey's Greek Mine, Crushington.—The coal to the rise is splitting, and stone intrusions are frequently met with. To the north of the maiu incline the outcrop has been met. The amount of coal remaining to be won is small. Three men have been constantly engaged during the year. Nelson District. M.G.O. Proprietary's Mine, Pakawau.—-This mine has been abandoned, as the coal in the main headings thinned. The clay bands increased in thickness to such an extent that the venture became unprofitable. Puponga Mine, Puponga.—All the pillars have now been extracted in the B Mine, and the section abandoned. Adjoining B Mine a new section has been developed, but the seam is split and dirty. A section taken at the workingface was as follows : Coal, 18 in. ; clay, 3 ft. 6 in. ; coal, 14 in. ; clay, 6 in. J coal, 12 in. The workings to the rise