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C.—2

Bullee District. Mitchell's Mine, Charleston. —Coal was not produced from this mine during the year, but operations will recommence during 1939. Bowater and Bryan's Mine, Charleston.—This mine is worked by the opencast method. Stripping and the loading of coal is done by hand labour and no attempt has been made to seriously develop the property on modern linos. Warm's Mine, Charleston'. —Only 8 tons of coal was produced during the year, this being used for domestic purposes. Powell's Mine, Charleston. —This mine is worked by the opencast method and is only worked on a small scale, 219 tons being produced during the year. Price's Freehold, Brighton.—During the year a few tons of coal were produced for the owner's domestic use. Brighton Coal-mines, Ltd., Brighton.—During the year 616 tons of coal were won from development work and the coal was disposed of locally. No coal has been flumod from the mainland to Seal Island for shipment. Some difficulty has been experienced with the flume between the mainland and the island, and, with a view to overcoming this, a tower of steel 95 ft. high has been built to support a portion of the suspended flume. Improvements have also been made to the storage bins on the island and to the berthing arrangements. With the completion of these improvements it is expected that fluming of coal for shipment will recommence. Rocklands Mine (J. P. Burley), Butter Gorge.—All development work in this mine is completed, and the output for the year was won from pillar-extraction. During the year new bins, screen, and loading-bank were erected, and these have considerably improved the handling and screening of (he coal. Glenerag Mine (Forsyth and Bateson), Butter Gorge.—The output for the year from this mine was won from development work, no pillars yet having been extracted. During the year the owners have constructed 9 chains of road from the Reefton-Westport main highway to connect with the proposed new bins and screens at the mine entrance. A distance of 3 chains of road is yet to be completed. When this is done cheaper and better means of handling and screening the coal will result. Coal Creek Mine (McGuire and Party), Seddonville.—The output froin this mine for the year was won from the filling of loose and fallen coal on the main level. The cleaning up and retimbermg of the main level has been done to within one chain of the solid coal. When completed driving will commence into virgin country. During the year a new entrance was made at this mine, which resulted in better facilities for the handling of the coal. Glasgow Mine (Steele and Party), Seddonville. —No coal was produced from this mine during the year. Cardiff Coal Co., Ltd., Mokihinui. —The output for the year was produced from development work. Two headings, together with cut-throughs, have been driven in a south-westerly direction towards an area proved by boreholes to contain 12 ft. of coal. In July a defect developed in the boiler used to generate steam, which resulted in the boiler being condemned. Operations in the mine then ceased and the mine remains closed. Hydro Coal-mines, Ltd., Seddonville. —Almost the whole of the output during the year was won from pillarextraction on the south-east side of the main tunnel. During the year a stone tunnel, 3J chains long, was driven to the west of the main tunnel for the purpose of tapping the coal-seam in the Cave area. This area was worked some years ago, and when it was tapped with the stone-drive referred to it was found that the roof had fallen very badly and the small pillars of coal were badly crushed. Prospects in this area do not look bright. For the purpose of providing ventilation for the Cave area a fan, operated by a Diesel engine, has been installed. Charming Creelc - Westport Coal Co., Ltd., Ngakawau.—The output from the mine during the year was won from development work in the main heading section of the mine. The solid work in No. I panel west has been completed, and No. 2 panel west is being opened up. Development work was continued in the main heading. The coal-seam is approximately 20 ft. in thickness and the coal is of good quality. During the year a main-and-tail haulage system was installed to haul the coal from the head of the old dip to the surface. At the end of the year preparations were being made to alter the gauge of the tram-lines underground from 3ft. Gin. to 2 ft. so that small trucks may be used and the large trucks transferred for use on the surface tram-line. Westport Main Mine (Westport-Granity Coal-mines, Ltd.), Granity.—No work of any description has been done at this mine during the year. Westport-Cascade Mine, Cascade Creek.-—Three sections have been worked in different portions of the lease during the year at this mine—i.e., Moynihan's, Top Mine, and Durkin's South sections. All development work is completed in Moynihan's section and Top Mine section, and pillar-extraction is taking place. Prospecting on the south side of the creek was successful, and Durkin's South section has been developed and five places are operated therein. The greater portion of the output was won from pillar-extraction. Westport Coal Co., Ltd., Denniston Mines. —Ironbridge Mine : The total output for the year from this mine was won from pillar-extraction in Nos. 2 and 4 sections and Kruger's old section. During the latter part of the year a dip-stone tunnel commencing on the level adjacent to Kiwi Sheets was constructed to tap the bottom seam in what is known as Young's section, and two pairs of miners were employed here repairing the roadways preparatory to commencing pillar-extraction. The work in connection with the dewatering of Beardmore's dip, which was in progress at the end of the previous year, has been abandoned. Coalbrookdale Mine : Almost all the output from this mine was won from pillar-extraction. The solid work in the old Waterloo section was completed and pillar-extraction commenced. Operations in the Whareatea Extended, Cascade Mine, Birchall's section, Steps section, and the Waterloo dip section were confined to pillarextraction. During the latter part of the year a commencement was made to reopen Forsyth's section, which has been closed for a number of years. During the year the endless-rope-haulage system coursing from the surface to the Whareatea Extended Mine was shortened to terminate at Hawkins' Junction, and a separate haulage system installed from the last-named point to the Whareatea Extended Mine. Therefore there are now separate haulage systems from Hawkins' Junction to the Extended Mine and Hawkins' section respectively, both feeding on to the main haulage system. This change has greatly improved haulage facilities; consequently, a larger output may now be dealt with. 10,796 tons of coal was machine-mined at the colliery. Westport Coal Co., Ltd., Millerton Mine.—Almost the whole output from this mine was won from the method adopted of partially extracting pillars in the third, fifth, and sixth west sections of the Mine Creek Mine. During the second half of the year a commencement was made to reopen a pillar area on the Mangatina rope-road. An electrically-operated haulage machine of 22 h.p. was installed for haulage purposes from this section, and three pairs of miners are now employed therein. A commencement has also been made to reopen the old dip section, and workmen are now engaged repairing the main haulage road into the section in readiness for coalproduction. The work of dividing the Mine Creek Mine into panels by erecting concrete stoppings to form barriers was continued throughout the year. It is pleasing to report that a new stable has been erected near the mine-entrance to house the mine horses during the week-ends. Previously the horses were housed underground all the year with the exception of the Christmas holidays. Spontaneous heating took place in panel K, sixth west section, and this was sealed off. Heating also took place in the worked-out panel I) in the third west section. This heating seriously developed and extended to panel E and caused this panel to be sealed off also. Westport-Stockton Coal Co., Ltd., Ngakawau.—The larger portion of the output from this mine was won from pillar-extraction. During the year pillar-extraction was in operation in the following sections : New East dip, J dip, South-east dip, South-west section, Old West section and No. 2 dip, while development work was carried out in the New East straight, South-east dip, and the West dip sections. In the West dip section where development work has been in progress on tho downthrow side of a fault, which the management term the

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