59

C.—2.

APPENDIX C. REPORT OF BOARDS OF EXAMINERS. Geological Survey Office, Wellington, 11th August, 1927. Sib, — On behalf of the Boards of Examiners under the Mining and Coal-mines Acts, I have the honour to submit the following brief report on the work of the Boards during 1926. The annual written examinations of candidates for mine-managers' certificates were held at Dunedin, Reefton, Huntly, and Waihi in October last. Twenty candidates for mine-managers' certificates under the Coal-mines Act (nine for first-class certificates and eleven for second-class certificates) and three candidates (two for first-class mine-managers' certificates and one for a battery superintendent's certificate) under the Mining Act, presented themselves for examination. Those candidates who were successful in obtaining the necessary marks in their written examination came before the Boards for oral examination at their annual meeting in December last, with the result that the following were successful in obtaining certificates as mine-managers under the Coalmines Act: —First class —J. E. Lewis, Ohai; and J. McLelland, Kaitangata : second class —A. Colligan, Nightcaps; W. Parfitt, Millerton ; J. S. Chippendale, Stockton ; and J. W. Leonard, Huntly. Partial passes for mine-managers' certificates were also granted the following : First class —P. Hall, Brunnerton : second class —Y. Curran, Pukemiro ; W. Johnston, Pukemiro ; R. L. Godden, Pukemiro ; and R. McDonald, Milton. In addition the Board of Examiners under the Mining Act granted a firstclass mine-manager's certificate to John Williams, Waihi. A partial pass for a battery superintendent's certificate was also granted to A. S. Morrison, Waihi. The number of candidates offering themselves for examination under the Coal-mines Act remains fairly steady, but the metal side of mining has unfortunately shown a declining tendency, and consequently the number of candidates for examination under the Mining Act has been few. During the year four examinations for candidates for certificates as underviewers and firemendeputies were held —one at Huntly, on the 31st March ; one at Dunedin, on the sth October ; and. one each at Westport and Greymouth, on the 16th and 20th October respectively. Forty-seven candidates presented themselves for examination, nine for underviewers' certificates and thirty-eight for firemen-deputies' certificates. Of these, seven were successful in gaining underviewers' certificates, and thirty were successful in gaining firemen-deputies' certificates. The following holders of British certificates of competency as coal-mine managers were granted equivalent New Zealand certificates under the Coal-mines Act : First class —E. Gascoigne, of Huntly ; Thomas Geddes, of Ohai; and Thomas McGhie, of Stockton : second class —James Gray, of Runanga, and R. Hall, .of Brunnerton. A first-class mine-manager's certificate under the Mining Act was also issued to F. W. R. Godden, of Reefton, in exchange for a first-class certificate of competency issued him by the Department of Mines, Victoria. As a result of the provision contained in the Coal-mines Act, 1925, requiring plans of the workings of a coal-mine in which more than six men are employed in the underground workings to be {prepared by or under the supervision of a competent person possessing the prescribed qualifications, it was necessary to provide for the issue of mine-surveyors' certificates. During the year the following persons were issued certificates without examination : R. T. H. Dale, of Kaitangata ; S. A. Flyger, of Glen Afton ; and H. N. Davies, of Mount Eden, Auckland. In addition the following persons' first-class mine-managers' certificates were endorsed as competent to act as mine surveyors : G. Duggan, of Dunedin ; Robert Hill, of Green Island ; C. V. P. Molony, of Pukemiro Junction ; P. Hunter, of Glen Afton ; Andrew Burt, of Pukemiro ; and Henry Talbot, of Avoca. Two service permits as oil-well managers under the Mining Act were also issued during the year, one to K. E. Pedersen, of Murchison, and the other to A. B. Wheat, of Gisborne. The appointment of Messrs. W. Carson and J. L. Gilmour as members of the Board of Examiners under the Coal-mines and Mining Acts respectively expired in October last, and His Excellency the Governor-General has been pleased to reappoint both gentlemen for a further term of three years. I have also to record with regret the death during the year of two members of the Board of Examiners under the Mining Act —Professor D. B. Waters and Mr. H. S. Molineaux. Both these gentlemen were associated with the Board in its deliberations for many years, and their death was a distinct loss. Revised lists of persons holding certificates granted by the Boards since their establishment are appended. I have, &c., P. G. Morgan, The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. Chairman of Boards.