37

0.—2

The gross output of coal for 1926 was 125,004 tons in excess of the output for 1925. Tliis increase is wholly due to the increased production of bituminous coal, which is 151,662 tons in excess of the amount produced in the previous year. The output of brown coal showed a small decrease of 5,600 tons, and of lignite a decrease of 21,058 tons. In the Northern District the output of bituminous coal for the year was 19,622 tons less than in 1925, due to the flooding of Hikurangi Shaft Colliery workings ; the output of brown coal showed a small increase of 1,068 tons, making a net decrease of 18,554 tons for the district for the year. In the West Coast District there was an increase of 171,284 tons of bituminous coal, a decrease of 321 tons of brown coal, and a decrease of 183 tons of lignite, making together a net increase for the year of 170,780 tons for this district. In the Southern District there was a reduction of 6,347 tons in the amount of brown coal produced, and a reduction of 20,875 tons of lignite, a total reduction of 27,222 tons for the year in the output of this district. During part of the year the market was not able to absorb all the coal that was offering, and consequently many of the mines had to work short time. Prospects improved towards the end of the year by reason of the fact that the Railway Department was able to take larger quantities of local coals in place of Australian coal for locomotive purposes. The production from and the number of persons employed at the collieries of the Dominion are shown in the following table: —

SECTION II.—PERSONS EMPLOYED.

Total w Total Output to Number of Name of Colliery. Locality. Class of Coal. 31st December, Persons 1926. ordinarily employed. Aorthe.ru District. Tons. Tons. Hikurangi (2 collieries) .. .. Hikurangi .. Sub-bituminous 29.060 1,591,833 147 Wilson's Colliery .. .. „ „ 61,409 293,513 168 Rotowaro .. . .. Huntly .. Brown 151,928 905,404 266 Pnkemiro .. .. „ .. „ .. 147,545 1.299.130 242 Waipa .. .. .. . „ .. 61,534 854,935 117 GlenAfton .. .. . Glen Afton .. „ .. 145,464 492,046 282 West Coast District. Westport-Stockton .. .. Ngakawau Sub-bituminous 104,804 2,192.827 240 Millerton .. .. .. Millerton .. „ .. 237,747 7,345,288 466 Denniston .. Denniston .. ,, 231,018 9,125,618 522 Westportmain .. .. .. Westport .. „ .. 23,076 28,874 41 Cardiff Bridge .. .. .. Seddonville .. „ .. 27,761 84,472 37 Paparoa .. Koa .. „ .. 35,503 544,117 96 Blackball .. .. Blackball .. „ .. 101,237 3,466,834 361 Liverpool (State).. .. Rewanui .. ,, 145,408 1,615,187 421 James (State) .. .. .. Rapahoe .. „ .. 33,739 106,390 80 Dobson.. .. .. .. Dobson .. „ .. 42,446 59,001 149 Southern District. Kaitangata and Castlehill (3 collieries) Kaitangata .. Brown 95,203 4,454,509 295 Taratu .. .. .. „ .. Lignite . 28,797 634,766 51 Linton (2 collieries) .. .. Nightcaps .. Brown .. 71,727 300,584 126 Wairaki „ .. .. „ .. „ .. 33,796 200,343 89 Black Diamond .. .. ,, .. „ .. 24,885 166,327 58 Birchwood .. .. .. Ohai .. „ .. 28,107 115,919 60 125 other collieries All coalfields .. Various 367,805 6,705,923 845 Collieries abandoned or suspended, &c. Various .. „ .. .. 21,287,985. Totals .. 2,239,999 63,959,342 5,159

Average Number of Persons employed during 1926. Inspection District. Above Ground. Below Ground. Total. Southern .. .. .. .. 268 769 1,037 West Coast .. .. .. .. 739 2,041 2,780 Northern .. .. .. .. 329 1,013 i 1,342 I ; Totals, 1926 .. .. 1,336 3,823 5,159 Totals, 1925 .. .. 1,288 3,489 j 4 > 777