C.—2

APPENDIX B.

REPORTS RELATING TO THE INSPECTION OF COAL-MINES.

The Inspecting Engineer and Chief Inspector op Coal-mines to the Under-Secretary oe Mines. Sir,— Wellington, 19th May, 1939. I have to honour to present my annual report, together with statistical information, in regard to coal-mines of the Doimnion for the year ended 31st December, 1938, in accordance with section 42 of the Coal-mines Act, 1925. The report is divided into the following sections : — I. Output. 11. Persons employed. 111. Accidents. IV. Working of the Coal-mines Act—(a) Permitted Explosives ; (b) List of Mines at which Permitted Explosives are used; (c) List of Mines required by Law to use Safetylamps ; (d) Dangerous Occurrences ; (e) Electricity at Collieries ; (/) Prosecutions. V. Legislation affecting Coal-mining. Annexures — A. Summary of Annual Reports by Inspectors of Mines. B. Colliery Statistics.

SECTION#.—OUTPUT. The output of the several classes of coal mined in each inspection district is summarized as follows :—

The following is a table showing the annnal production of coal and the quantity of coal imported since 1912: —

59

Output of Coal during 1938. Total Output Class of Coal. to the Northern District West Coast District Southern District T ■ End of 1938. (North Island). (South Island). (South Island). otais. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Bituminous and sub-bituminous 44,838 933,012 .. 977,850 51,784,420 Brown .. .. .. 717,879 50,231 344,304 1,112,414 33,291,193 Lignite .. .. .. .. 1,146 130,678 131,824 5,401,817 Totals for 1938 .. 762,717 984,389 474,982 2,222,088 90,477,430 Totals for 1937 .. 778,498 975,228 j 524,073 2,277,799 88,255,342

Total Quantity of Total Quantity of Year. Coal produced. Coal imported. Coal produced and Year. Coal produced. Coal imported. Coal produced and imported. imported. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. 1912 .. 2,177,615 364,359 2,541,974 1926 .. 2,239,999 483,918 2,723,917 1913 .. 1,888,005 468,940 2,356,945 1927 .. 2,366,740 378,090 2,744,830 1914 .. 2,275,614* 518,070 2,793,684* 1928 .. 2,436,753 247,861 2,684,614 1915 .. 2,208,624 353,471 2,562,095 1929 .. 2,535,864 215,656 2,751,520 1916 .. 2,257,135 293,956 2,551,091 1930 .. 2,542,092 157,943 2,700,035 1917 .. 2,068,419 291,597 2,360,016 1931 .. 2,157,756 179,060 2,336,816 1918 .. 2,034,250 255,332 2,289,582 i 1932 .. 1,842,022 103,531 1,945,553 1919 .. 1,847,848 391,434 2,239,282 1933 .. 1,821,258 99,272 1,920,530 1920 .. 1,843,705 476,343 2,320,048 j 1934 .. 2,060,315 100,715 2,161,030 1921 .. 1,809,095 822,459 2,631,554 1935 .. 2,115,184 97,398 2,212,582 1922 .. 1,857,819 501,478 2,359,297 1936 .. 2,140,217 111,078 2,251,295 1923 . . 1,969,834 445,792 2,415,626 1937 .. 2,277,799 116,499 2.394,298 1924 .. 2,083,207 674,483 2,757,690 1938 .. 2,222,088 109,206 2,331,294 1925 .. 2,114,995 572,573 2,887,568 I _____ _ _ • Includes 21 tons shale.