C—2a.

2

owing to miner being stopped for filling dirty coal, 1 ; strike re bath attendant at James Mine, 3 ; back Saturdays, 25 ; cold-bath house (No. 1 Mine), 2 ; death of employee at mine (No. 1), 2 ; (No. 2), 1 ; slip on haulage-road (No. 1), 1 ; breakdown at mine (No. 2), 5 hours ; shortage of drinking-water at mine (No. 2), 1 ; excessive lightning (No. 2), 1 ; strikes due to horse-drivers' lamp being stopped (No. 1), 1 ; (No. 2), 3 ; strike re truckers' lamp being stopped (No. 2), 1. Total, No. 1 Mine, 49 days 5 hours : total, No. 2 Mine, 51 days 2 hours. The days worked at the Nos. 1 and 2 Mines are greater by 38| and 39f respectively than those of the previous year. Employees. —In connection with coal-winning the average number of persons employed in and about the mine was 344, made up as follows : Underground—Coal-hewers, 118 ; deputies, shiftmen, and truckers, 126. On the surface —70 men and 30 boys. Payments. —The total payments made in connection with coal-winning, for wages, stores, minetimber, and compensation, amounted to £100,809 18s. Bd., an increase of £10,289 18s. Bd. when compared with the figures of the previous year. Coal-hewers' Average Daily Earnings. —The coal-hewers' average daily earnings (gross) were £1 lis. 9d., and after making deduction for stores (explosives) the net return was £1 Bs. 7d., an increase of 3d. per day compared with the previous year. Daily Output. —The average daily mine-output was 652 tons, and the coal-hewers' average daily output was 5 tons 18 cwt., a reduction of 78 tons and 4 cwt. respectively when compared with the previous year. Days worked by Coal-hewers. —The total number of days that could have been worked by coalhewers was 30,110 ; the number worked was 23,962 ; and the number lost, including those lost through sickness, was 6,148. Included in the latter are 2,954 that were lost owing to miners refusing to work on back Saturdays. Deficiencies. —The total amount paid under the minimum-wage clause was £410 19s. 9d., as compared with £264 13s. lOd. for the previous year. This works out to a cost of practically fd. per ton. Accidents. —During the year there were several minor accidents, also two of a serious nature. The payments made at this colliery under the provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act amounted to £2,482 15s. 9d. On the output produced this works out to a cost of 4-21 d. per ton, as compared with 3-62 d. per ton for the previous year. Underground Workings. —The output was obtained from the development of workings in the No. 2 Mine, also the extraction of pillars at the No. 1 Mine, and from a small area in the Anderson section. In the former mine two seams are being worked—namely, the Kimbell and Morgan. In the Kimbell seam development work was carried out as follows : The extension of the main east level, the extending of the Nos. 3, 4, and 5 east, and Nos. 2 and 3 west rise headings, also the driving of a dip heading in a southerly direction from the east level. In the Nos. 3 and 4 east headings the seam has thinned considerably, the thickness averaging not more than 6 ft., and the present indications are that the seam will continue to thin in a northerly direction. The seam worked in the headings off the west level lies at a very steep angle ; it is hard, also of considerable thickness and excellent quality. In the dip section that is being developed from the east level the seam is of considerable thickness and of excellent quality. It is to be hoped that there will be a reasonable area of this class of coal. In the Morgan seam the main east level is still being extended, also workings to the rise from this and the west level. Some of the places to the rise had to be stopped temporarily owing to the lower portion of the seam becoming inferior. Arrangements have been made, however, to rise on the inferior coal and work the upper portion, which is clean and marketable. The No. 1 Mine, from which pillars are being extracted, is fast approaching exhaustion, and it is questionable whether the present output from this mine can be maintained for a further period of twelve months. The work of pillar-extraction from the Anderson section of the No. 2 Mine will be completed within the course of the next few months. Stone-dusting. —Work under this head has been regularly carried out at the mines, and during the year 72 tons of dust were used for this purpose. The number of samples analysed from the various zones in the mines was 314. In addition to the latter 125 samples were analysed from co-operative parties and other mines. Surface Works. —The whole of the plant, machinery, and buildings have been maintained in good and efficient repair. During the year a Babcock and Wilcox boiler fitted with Laykold patent furnace was erected to replace the one destroyed by the explosion. All the boilers and steam-pipes throughout were also lagged with Salmac lagging. A new concrete building which is steam-heated and fitted with all conveniences was erected at the middle brake, so that employees meeting with an injury may be treated and made comfortable pending the arrival of the doctor. Ventilating-fan. —A new double-inlet Sirocco fan capable of producing 160,000 cubic feet of air per minute is being erected at the No. 2 Mine of this colliery. The fan is erected in position and all the housing completed, and the motor for driving the fan is expected at an early date. Air-compressor. —Owing to the two small compressors now in use being inadequate to meet the mine requirements, a new steam-driven one capable of producing 500 cubic feet of free air per minute has been ordered. The concrete foundations for the new plant are completed, and the work of erecting will be carried out as expeditiously as possible when the plant arrives.