C.—2

Anderson Section : In this section operations consisted of developing areas to the dip and rise from the main level. In the workings to the dip the coal is of excellent quality, with an average thickness of about 8 ft. The workings to the rise were stopped during the year owing to the seam thinning and becoming intersected with dirt bands. Kimbell Bast Section: Development work was confined to a small area to the rise. This small area is bound on the west by a dirty belt of coal, and, as the workings extended in an easterly direction, the seam gradually thinned to an unworkable thickness. Morgan West Section: Development work was confined to extending workings to the rise towards the barrier between the Nos. I and 2 Mines. Pillar-extraction in the Morgan seam was carried out in a satisfactory manner, good roof conditions in most cases enabling complete extraction. In the Kimbell seam conditions are not so favourable, owing to the seam in some of the places being exceptionally thick and the upper portion being intersected with bands of stone. During the year a new air-compressor with a capacity of 1,000 cubic feet of free air per minute was installed. The installing of this plant will enable areas to be developed to the dip in the Kimbell west and Morgan seams. James State Colliery, Rapahoe.—Coal-winning operations at this colliery consisted of developing an area known as the " new dip section " and the extraction of pillars from the south level and crosscut dip sections. The seam in the new dip section is in the form of a syncline, with the axis rising from south to north. Development work in this section was, and still is, difficult, owing to the gradient in some places being exceptionally steep, and the thinning of the seam in others. Work in connection with the extraction of pillars in the south level and crosscut-dip sections was carried out in a satisfactory manner, very little coal being lost during extraction. It may be mentioned that in these two sections there is a large quantity of coal which had to be left owing to it being soft and unsaleable. Prospecting : Daring the latter portion of the year prospecting-work consisting of driving on the seam, which outcrops on the north bank of Cannell Creek, was commenced. The coal in this locality is soft, but is improving in quality. In the Nine-mile Creek area preparations are being made for further drilling. The drilling-plant has been shifted from Kiwi Creek and erected at the site of No. 14 borehole. Trial surveys are being run for the examination of various routes into the Nine-mile area. Blackball Goal-mines Proprietary, Ltd., Blackball.—Operations during the year consisted of further extraction of the remaining pillars adjacent to the main level between Nos. 10 and 20 banks. The stone-drive section was abandoned in April after every effort to locate a payable seam had been tried. The coal in this locality was very disturbed, and consequently was friable and exceedingly wet. During the year a washing plant was installed for the purpose of cleaning the coal below 1J in. and is giving satisfactory results. Blackball Greek Goal Go., Ltd., Blackball.—Operations were confined to the extraction of pillars in the Nos. 2, 3, and 4 sections. No new development was attempted during the year. Briandale Collieries, Ltd., Ten-mile. —All the coal won from the mine was by pillar-extraction, very little coal being left. Prospecting: It is proposed to open out an outcrop of coal from 8 ft. to 10 ft. thick at a distance of approximately 10 chains to the north-east of the present mine. Surface tracks have been cut, and a small bin, estimated to contain 20 tons, has been constructed near the mine-mouth at the upper end, from which it is proposed to construct a jig to the tramway. Boring : The bore that was put down about 3 chains from the mine-entrance was carried to a distance of 545 ft., no workable seam being encountered. Wallsend Colliery (Brunner Collieries, Ltd.), Brunner.—All the coal from this mine during the year was won from solid workings. Development: The working of the first panel was continued throughout the year, the coal being of good quality with fairly uniform conditions, and development has now reached a stage where pillar-splitting, on an approved system, is about to be undertaken. In the second panel development continues in a north and westerly direction, the Kimberley fault, known to exist to the north, having been encountered in the rise headings. A barrier is being maintained to the north of this panel. The coal here has been of good quality generally, although, when nearing the western barrier, cindery coal with a large floor roll, and at times wet conditions, was encountered. The slant dip was advanced a further 4 chains and levels opened out to the west, but, due to the decision to alter the direction of the future rope-road, development in this section was retarded somewhat. The coal in this section continued to be of good quality, although at times the roofstone differed in nature, many rolls and breaks being met, with treacherous roof in isolated places. Main Headings and Sections adjacent: After driving the pair of main headings and opening out the third and fourth rise panels, it was decided to abandon this section, the coal having thinned to as low as 3 ft. 6 in. in places, while the roof was very troublesome, being finely laminated, giving off gas freely and inclined to crush. The main heading was driven approximately 42 chains from the Taylorville fault-break, the heading rising gradually from about 3 chains from the point at which the seam was intersected by the stone tunnel, and the level of the main heading face is now the same as the bottom of the main shaft. It is intended to prospect the area beyond with a pair of levels, as these in the low coal will be more suitable for haulage and ventilation requirements. Rope-road Deviation: From experience gained in the development in the main headings, it was decided to deviate from the original plan of development, although the original main heading will be retained for future haulage should prospecting and development on the lines intended prove the field to the west to warrant this. From the end of the main laybye, where the main headings commence to rise, the future rope-road has been deviated at about 30 degrees to the south of the main-heading bearing, and this place has been driven approximately 13 chains on almost a level course and in fairly uniform condition. Bndless Hope Haulage: During the Christmas holidays the conversion from electric winch to endless-rope haulage was made. Dob-son Colliery (Grey Valley Collieries, Ltd.), Dobson.—With the exception of No 2 west level section, practically the whole of the output during the year was won from development work. The field in general is opened up by a main hauling-dip, this being driven from the main west level, known as " No. 1 west." The mine is laid out and opened up by levels, driven from the No. 1 dip, which are known as Nos. 2, 3, and 4 east and west levels respectively. The No. 1 west level opens up an area leased from adjacent property and considerable trouble has been met with in the working of this district due to the proximity of the "Rider" seam, also to faulting. As pillar-extraction cannot be carried out in the section, the work, due to the troubled nature of this portion, is limited to a small part in which pillar-formation is being carried out. The No. 2 west level section has reached the boundary in that direction by which it is named, and the work generally carried on is ordinary bord and pillar to complete operations up to the boundary. This area being under the river, the final work in the district will be completed by the splitting of pillars already formed. The Nos. 3 and 4 west levels are at present purely developing levels, the No. 3 having been advanced to within 5-J chains of the western boundary. On the clip side of No. 3 level a pair of dips have been driven for a distance of 9 chains to open up a panel of workings. Approximately 11 chains on the inbye side of these dips another pair of dips have been set away to lay out another panel of workings. The No. 4 west levels were advanced a distance of 6 chains. On the eastern side of No. 1 dip developing levels, known as Nos. 3 and 4 east, are being driven to open up in a similar manner to the work being conducted from the western levels. The general advancement of development was seriously retarded due to the slack time worked. Preparations are being made for the installation of an endless-rope system of haulage to replace the present direct system.

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