C.—2

Egmont Tatu Colliery (Egmont Collieries, Ltd., Owners). —A weekly output of 500 tons was won from the company's Tatu area, which is being developed in consideration of a mine-life which would warrant the installation of five miles of aerial ropeway necessary to connect the mine to the railway at Mangaparo Railway-station. The seam is 7 ft. thick and has bands of shale 6 in. thick at the bottom and top, which are conducive to easy mining. The roof is of hard sandstone, but occasional soft backs, converging from the sides to the middle of the roof, necessitate the systematic timbering of all places. The main dip has been advanced seven chains in clean hard coal, and the prospects of a continuity of the seam northward under a high range of hills appears to be assured by the prospecting-work already carried out in the coalfield. At present part of the output is carted to Mangaparo Railway-station and the remainder to Heao Railway-station, both of which are five miles distant from the mine. Fernbrook Coal-mine (Ohura Coal Co., Owners; subleased to Godden and Party). —This coal-mine is situated on freehold land, twelve miles up the Waitewhena Valley from Ohura. A seam of coal 6 ft. thick is being developed on level course to the north. The coal is of good quality, and the output is carted to Ohura. Mangapeehi Coal-mine (Mangapeehi Coal Mining Co., Ltd.: Wayleave from Crown). —A motor road one and an eighth miles in length has been formed and metalled to connect the mine to a railway-siding at the four-mile peg of Ellis and Burnand's Mangapeehi private railway. Steam power has been installed for haulage and drainage. The seam is 15 ft. thick, and three headings to the full dip of 1 in 3 have been advanced 400 ft. in clean coal. A daily output of 20 tons is being won by nine miners. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. On 29th April A. Lines, an employee of the Wilton Collieries, Ltd., had his collar-bone broken and his back badly bruised through falling in front of a loaded skip. On 7th June H. Kerle, screen-worker employed by the Glen Afton Collieries, Ltd., suffered a fracture of the pelvis when he was caught between two wagons whilst he was engaged in lowering them from the screen. On 15th July Thomas Naylor, trucker at the Glen Afton No. 2 (Mac Donald) Colliery, sustained a compound fracture of the left leg through being struck by a moving skip which ran uncontrolled down a slight incline. On 9th December S. Davies, engaged as a clipper in the Glen Afton Collieries, was caught between two skips whilst he was engaged in clipping off skips from the endless-rope haulage. His left leg was severely bruised. Dangerous Occubkences (Regulation 82 oe the Coal-mines Act, 1925). On the 21st June the manager of the Renown Colliery reported that a fire had occurred in the pillar adjacent to No. 3 north overcast. The fire was subdued, and the overcast repaired by a brick extension. On 22nd June indications of heating were discovered at a point in the return airway between E and E sections of the Glen Afton No. 1 Colliery, due to a fracture in the brick wall. Repairs were effected. On 21st July, owing to heavy rain, the water started to rise in the Hikurangi Coal Co.'s Phoenix Mine. The workings were subsequently dewatered. Prosecutions. Two miners employed in the same colliery were each charged with failing to support the roof of their working-place in the mine with props set at regular intervals required by the timbering regulations. Each was convicted and fined £1, with costs 12s. WEST COAST INSPECTION DISTRICT (C. J. Strongman and J. Hadoboet, Inspectors of Coal-mines). In accordance with section 42 of the Coal-mines Act, 1925, we hereby report on the workings of the coal-mines in the West Coast Inspection District for the year ended 31st December, 1935. The combined output from the Nelson, Buller, Reefton, and Grey districts was 803,653 tons, showing an increase over the previous year of 20,214 tons. The following summary explains the changes in output from the previous year in the different parts of the district and in the number of men employed : —

Output.

In the Reefton district the increased output was gained mainly from the Morrisvale field. In the Grey district the increased output is shown in the Liverpool Colliery's return by an increase of 28,375 tons. Considering the general increase in output and the reduction in the number of men, it would suggest that the miners employed during 1935 worked better time. During the year no new mining-development work of any magnitude was carried out. The bulk of the coal was won from pillar-extraction. The use of the panel system of working is almost general, also the straight-line system of pillar-extraction. It is pleasing to note that there is increased interest being taken regarding safety precautions. The use of hard hats, as an illustration, is on the increase. Gbey Distbict. Liverpool State Colliery, Rewanui.—Coal-winning operations at this colliery were carried out on similar lines to those of the previous year—viz., the extending of workings in the solid in the Anderson, Kimbell east, and Morgan west sections, and the extraction of pillars from the other sections of the mine.

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1934. 1935. Increase. Decrease. Nelson District .. .. .. 25,844 23,221 .. 623 Buller District .. .. .. 312,689 313,129 440 Reefton District .. .. .. 45,018 49,916 4,898 Grey District .. .. .. 399,888 415,387 15,499 783,439 803,653 20,837 623 ; Net increase, 20,214. Number of Men employed. 1934. 1935. Increase. Decrease. Nelson District ...... 78 76 .. 2 Buller District .. .. .. 847 710 .. 137 Reefton District .. .. .. 113 111 .. 2 Grey District .. .. .. 1,043 947 .. 96 2,081 1,844 .. 237