O.—2A

Days worked. —During the year the No. 1 Mine worked 204 days and the No. 2 Mine 203 days. The possible working-days based on eleven days per fortnight, and excluding union holidays and pay Saturdays, were 271. The difference between the days worked and the possible working-days is accounted for as follows : Extra holidays at Christmas, 2 ; bins full, delays to shipping, and lack of orders, 29 ; cold bathhouse (No. 1 Mine only), 1 ; flood-water in bathhouse (No. 2 Mine only), 1 ; death of mine employees, 2 ; visit of British Eugby team, 1 ; stop-work meeting re Dobsbn, 1 ; stoppage re shades on electric lamps, 2 ; stoppage re wet - time train being late, 3 ; stoppage re trucker's lamp being stopped (No. 2 Mine only), 1 ; back Saturdays, 26 : totals, No. 1 Mine, 67 days ; No. 2 Mine, 68 days. The days worked at the Nos. 1 and 2 Mines are less by 14f and 13f 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 346, made up as follows : Underground —Coal-hewers, 116 ; deputies, shiftmen, and truckers, 132. On the surface —68 men and 30 boys. Expenditure. —The total expenditure in connection with coal-winning for wages, stores, minetimber, and compensation, together with subsidies on railway tickets and cost of coal used on works, amounted to £102,470 17s. 4d. Coal-hewers Average Daily Earnings. —The coal-hewers average daily earnings (gross) were £1 12s. 3d., and after making deduction for stores (explosives) the net return was £1 9s. 4d., an increase of 9d. per day when compared with the previous year. Daily Output. —The average daily mine-output was 645 tons, and the coal-hewers average daily output was 5 tons 19 cw.t. compared with 652 tons and .5 tons 18 cwt. for the previous year. Days worked by Goal-hewers. —The total number of days that could have been worked by coal-, hewers was 28,057, the number worked was 21,962, and the number lost, including those lost through sickness and ,not working on back Saturdays, was 6,095. . Deficiencies. —The total amount paid under the minimum-wage clause was £571 4s. 7d. as compared with £410 19s. 9d. for the previous year. This works out to a cost of l-04d. per ton. Accidents. —During the year there were several minor accidents, but none of a serious nature. The payments made at this colliery under the provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act amounted to £2,504 Bs. Bd. On the output produced this works out to a cost of 4-58 d. per ton, as compared with 4-21 d. per ton for the previous year. Underground Workings. —Operations underground have been carried out on similar lines as those of the previous year, namely : the developing of the No. 2 Mine and the extraction of pillars from the No. 1 Mine. At the No. 1 Mine three sections were worked formerly known as the Stable, West, and Siberia Sections. The two latter were closed down during the year, and all the plant removed therefrom. Work is still being continued in the Stable Section where seven pairs of miners are employed, but it is only a matter of a few months when this will be closed down. In the No. 2 Mine five sections are being worked, known as the Anderson, Kimbell East and West, and the Morgan East and West Sections. The Anderson Dip Section is opening up well, the coal produced being of excellent quality and thickness. The Kimbell east level was extended during the year, also rise headings in a northerly direction from it. In the extension of the main level water has been freely given off from the roof of the seam. In addition to water, feeders of gas were frequently met.with from breaks in the roof. Workings to the rise from the Kimbell east and west levels were also extended during the year. The workings in the Nos. 3, 4, and 5 banks east reached the point where the seam became unworkable, and, in consequence, pillar-extraction is now in operation in the two former banks. In the west section work was confined to the extending of the workings of the Nos. 2 and 3 banks in the direction of the workings at the No. 1 Mine. Some of these places have reached the point where a barrier pillar has to be left between the two mines, and the time is not far distant when pillar-extraction will be commenced in this section. Morgan Seam. —The Morgan east level was worked, continuously throughout the year, the seam gradually reducing in thickness as the level was extended, the thickness now being approximately 6 ft., as compared with 20 ft. and over some distance back from the face. The workings to the rise from the east and west levels were also extended towards the point where a barrier pillar has to be left between the Nos. 1 and 2 Mines. Although some of the places have been driven the required distance to where the barrier pillar is being left, it will be some time yet before pillar-extraction will be commenced in this seam. It is a great pity that the coal from this seam is of such a friable nature, for, as a result of this, O J 7 1 1 the percentage of small is exceptionally high. Stone Dusting. —Work under this head has been regularly carried out during the year ; 104 ton s of stone-dust was used for this purpose. The number of samples analysed from the various zones in the mines was 473. In addition to the latter, 100 samples were analysed from co-operative parties' mines. Surface Works. —The whole of the plant, machinery, and buildings have been maintained in good and efficient state of repair. The new double-inlet Sirocco ventilating-fan, also the steam-driven air-compressor which were referred to in my last report, were put into commission during the early part of the year, and are giving entire satisfaction. Exploratory Work. —Under this head a considerable amount of work has been carried out in tracing and stripping coal outcrops on the reserve between the Nine and Ten Mile Creeks. Along the face of the cliff overlooking the Ten Mile Creek coal outcrops have been traced for a distance of

2