o—2.

Brighton (McColVs) Mine.—No further work was done at the mine over the hill during 1931, but a newdip was driven near the area where work was suspended in 1925 and which is about 10 chains nearer the main Brighton Road. After dipping at a grade of 1 in 6 for 2 chains the seam was met. The drive was then continued as a level to the north-west and later was deflected to the north. After passing the old workings, places were driven to the west, the seam having thickened from 5| ft. to 8 ft., but 2 ft. is being left on for roof support. Total output to the 31st December, 1931, was 10,009 tons. Bush's Mine. —On land a few chains north of McColl's 1930 workings two men have been prospecting. A short dip drive holed into Shedden's old workings of many years ago. After passing the old places this 6 ft. drive, going north, entered very dirty lignite and 100 ft. in there is only 6 in. of clean lignite near the roof and another 6 in. about 2 ft. up from the floor. Another drive, about a chain to the west, is in about 50 ft., but the seam is very dirty there also. Fry's Mine. —To the north 'a short dip was driven, but, owing to an inflow of water and having no pump, the drive was abandoned and another one commenced 2 chains farther east. This dip was driven at a grade of 1 in 10 and at 100 ft. in 2 ft. of lignite was met. Below is a 5 ft. stratum of sand and then the lower seam of lignite, the thickness of which has not yet been ascertained. Green's Mine. — The main dip is down 1,100 ft. from the surface or 6|- chains below the deviation to the north-west. Off the dip six levels are being worked to the north-east, but the dip itself is stopped and the bottom is used as a sump. These north-east places have several chains to go before reaching the barrier pillar below the flooded old workings. Owing to the severe competition from the nearby opencast pits this mine is working only half-time. No work has been done on the south side of the dip since March. Total output to the 31st December, 1931, was 371,004 tons. Otilcerama Mine. —The upper north level reached broken lignite containing many open backs. Owing to the steady flow of water through these backs the level was stopped, as also was a place to the east off the level in which poor lignite was met. There is very little cover over the lignite and towards the end of the year the level fell in. The dip was extended about 15 yards and another level commenced to the north. This is in over 2 chains. To the south a level was driven 12 yards and holed into former wol-kings. Total production to end of 1931 was 48,953 tons. Rosedale Pit.—Work was continued in the old pit for a few months, but, as the overburden increased to over 15 ft. in thickness, that pit was abandoned, and a new one opened up about 15 chains to the south where the lignite is 10 ft. thick with only 3 ft. of overburden. Total output to end of 1931 was 2,433 tons. Croydon Coal Co.'s Pit.—About half a mile east of the old Croydon Bush coalpit a new pit was opened up. At first' the lignite was 10 ft. thick with only about 3 ft. of gravel overburden, but the overburden thickened and a good deal of water seeped into the pit from a nearby creek. In September a dip drive was commenced about a quarter of a mile west of the opencast pit. There the seam was 15 ft. thick, but dipping steeply to the north. Soon a fault was struck, so work was again resumed in the opencast pit. To the end of 1931 the total output was 24,430 tons. Whiterig Opencast Pit.—About half a mile north of the old Whiterig Mine an opencast pit is being worked in a paddock about 15 chains from the traffic road. At present 7 ft. of lignite is showing with only 2 ft. of stripping. Total output, 423 tons. Milne's Pit (Hakatea). —This pit has been extended to the west and the north face is over 50 yards in length, but the overburden is thickening in that direction. Total output to the 31st December, 1931, was 2,329 tons. Hamilton and Randalls (formerly Larking'S) Pit. —Work has been continued to the south and west and the seam at the west face is now 18 ft. thick, with only about 3 ft. of overburden. The total output to the end of 1931 was 2,875 tons. Terrace Pit. —About 15 chains east of Barking's Terrace Mine two men commenced stripping an opencast pit where there is at least 8 ft. of lignite. Output, 106 tons. Wendon Mine. —The old workings were reached early in the year so the 20 ft. of top coal is being worked back. A little blackdamp came through from the old workings, but it was soon cleared away. The working-face is within a chain of the foot of the short dip and the waste is closing nicely behind. The " tops " may last another year, and there is no other known supply around in the locality. Total output to the end of 1931 was 1,820 tons. Olenlee Mine.—The main level was stopped in very wet ground. The back level to the rise and a level on the west side are still being driven, the latter being 4 chains in. The roadways have been cleaned of dross and dusted with limestone. Total output to the 31st December, 1931, was 34,814 tons. Princhester Creelc Pit. —Opencasting was continued to the north and the stripping disclosed from 2 ft. to 3 ft. of hard papa rock. A 5 ft. downthrow fault was met running east and west and hading to the north. About 8 ft. from the fault the coal is dipping steeply to the north, so another fault is near or the seam is going to cut out in that direction. There is about six months' supply in sight, so prospecting will have to be commenced soon on an area a chain or so farther to the north. Total production to end of 1931 was 3,905 tons. Argyle Pit.— The seam has thinned out on the west side and towards the Waikaia "River and is also thinning quickly to the south, so work will soon be confined to the south-east and east, but the pit may be extended towards the north-east also. Owing to the thinning it is not practicable to form the intended shorter tailrace. Total production to the 31st December, 1931, was 12,163 tons. Nortlicoafs Pit.—Owing to shortage of water early in the year a large slip about half-way along the face of the pit could not bo removed for some time. Work was continued to the north and taking about a foot of the top of the seam, temporarily leaving 3 ft. of lignite underfoot. The seam is rather stony in the middle. Bater a large amount of stripping was done and from 70 tons to 80 tons got ready for marketing. Total output to the 31st December, 1931, was 37,758 tons. s Pit (formerly Mclver^s). —A consid.6ra.blG amount of stripping has been done at the south one! and it is intended to use an hydraulic elevator at the north end in order to work lignite left underfoot by Mclver A chair has been erected over the Waikaia River. Total output to end of 1931 was 1,525 tons. Boghead Mine—Very little work has been done in the main dip during the past year. The bottom north level has been extended about 30 yards and the south level about 50 yards, with a couple of cut-throughs on each side About 3 chains to the rise another south level has been extended half a chain. A ventilatmg-ian has been purchased from a nearby closed mine and should be running early in the new year. Total production to end of 1931 was 70,347 tons. «-u j a 4.1, i , Mataura Liqnite-mine —Work has been continued m the lower east bords and there is about another twelve months' solid work to be done before all six bords reach the boundary. No arrangement has been made to work the area to the east of the boundary. The ventilating-fan was repaired and fitted up at a new site east of the main drive. Total output to the 31st December, 1931 was 370,555 tons. Diamond Liqnite-pit— Opencasting was continued towards the north until the pit was about 6 ft. from a de~p ditch near the surface tramway. The stripping, chiefly of gravel, is being stacked against the north side of the nit as it will not be extended any farther in that direction. The pit was advanced from 6 yards to 8 yards towards the west where the stripping is from 10 ft, to 12 ft. thick. A block of lignite 12 yards long, 8 yards wide, and 10 yards deep, is now ready for working as only a little stripping remains to be done from above the block. Total output to end of 1931 was 36,725 tons. . , Black Diamond Mime.—Pillaring has been continued at the north-east corner of the lease and since the beginning of the year a waste of not more than 50 yards square and 25 ft. in height has been made, so it is evident that the output has been a very small one. Iu September owing to slight signs of heating, the waste was sealed off and pillaring was resumed outbye the stoppings. Total output to the 31st December, 1931, was 224,927 tons.

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