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GLEN AFTON COLLIERIES ROYAL COMMISSION.

To His Excellency the Right Honourable George Vere Arundell, Viscount Galway, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of' Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over our Dominion of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it please Your Excellency,— We, the undersigned Commissioners appointed by Royal Commission dated 25tli day of October, 1939, and issued under Letters Patent dated 11th May, 1917, and under the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, to inquire into and report upon the colliery accident which occurred in the Glen Afton Mine on the 24th day of September, 1939, desire humbly to submit to Your Excellency our report. The Commission formally commenced its sittings at the Town Hall, Huntly, on Monday, 27th November, 1939, after which an inspection of the Glen Afton Mine was made by the Commission, in company with counsel representing the parties, and mine officials. The hearing of the . first section of the evidence was commenced on 28th November, 1939, and concluded on 6th December, 1939, and after further inspections of parts of the sealed-off portion of-the mine had been made the hearing of evidence was resumed on the 22nd January and concluded on the 24th January, 1940. In all, fortytwo witnesses were examined and several were recalled. The proceedings were open to the public, and reports were published in newspapers. The parties represented before the Commission were :— (1) The Mines Department (represented by Mr. C. H. Taylor, Crown Law Oflice, Wellington). (2) The Glen Afton Collieries, Ltd. (represented by Mr. A. K. North, Barrister, Auckland). (3) The Northern Miners' Union (represented by Mr. C. J. O'Regan, Barrister, Wellington and Mr. T. Hall, Huntly). (4) The Superintendent of the Glen Afton Collieries, Mr. P. Hunter (represented by Mr. J. F. Strang, Barrister, Hamilton). (5) The Waikato Underground Officials' Union (also represented by Mr. J. P. Strang, Barrister, Hamilton). (6) The widow of Mr. James Clark (represented by Mr. A. L. Tompkins, Barrister, Hamilton). (7) The Police Department (represented by Sergeant J. R. Corston, Auckland). With the consent of the parties, Mr. C. H. Taylor conducted the examination-in-chief. The Glen Afton Collieries, Ltd., operates two adjoining coal-mines in the Waikato Coalfield area— the Glen Afton No. 1 Mine and the Glen Afton No. 2 Mine—situated at Glen Afton, some twelve miles from Huntly, which is the nearest station on the North Island Main Trunk Railway. The accident which is the subject of the Commission's inquiries took place in the Glen Afton No. I. Mine. The surface area of this mine is 3,653 acres, part of which is freehold, and the balance leasehold. The area of workings is approximately 438 acres. The Glen Afton No. 1 Mine has been in operation for eighteen years, and the total output to the end of 1939 has been 1,924,728 tons of coal. The Glen Afton No. 2 Mine, which is known as the Mac Donald Mine, is on a Crown lease, and has been operated for eight years. The surface area of this mine is 1,289 acres, and the area of workings is approximately 209 acres. The Glen Afton No. 2 Mine has produced a total output of 1,139,667 tons to the end of 1939. The number of men engaged in the Glen Afton No. I Mine as at 24th September, 1939, was 127 underground, and 25 on the surface, or a total of 152. The number of men employed in the Mac Donald or Glen Afton No. 2 Mine as at 24th September, 1939, was 204 underground and 48 on the surface, or a total of 252 men. Although in the Glen Afton workings there has been considerable faulting and displacement there seems no doubt that the same coal-seam is worked in both mines. The thickness of the coal-seam varies from 5 ft. to 15 ft. in the No. 1 Mine and from 6 ft. to 25 ft. in the No. 2 Mine. The coal is classified as brown coal, and is similar to that which occurs throughout the Waikato field. A typical analysis is p er Cent. Water .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15. 5 Volatile matter .. .. .. ~ .. ~ 37-5 Fixed carbon .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 44-0 Ash .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3-o 100-0 Sulphur, 0-3 per cent. Calorific value, 10,800 B.T.U. The mine workings are mainly dry. From a mining point of view the total quantity of water to be pumped from the lower workings is comparatively trifling. Throughout the Waikato mines the coal-seams have always been liable to spontaneous combustion, and this factor has to be given due consideration in laying out workings so as to avoid serious loss of coal through heating when pillars are being extracted. The workings of the Glen Afton No. 1 Mine are on the bord-and-pillar system, arranged in panels, with substantial barriers between them. A plan of the mine workings is attached hereto as Appendix A. The entry into the workings is by three parallel headings driven in a direction approximately due north from the mine-mouth The central one of these is the main haulage road and main intake airway, the one to the east is the travelling road for workmen, and the one to the west is the main return. These headings extend in straight lines, the total length being 103-90 chains, and at a point 82-64 chains from the entrance there are two parallel headings driven to the east (see K section 011 plan). One of these headings connects with the Mac Donald Mine workings. These heading's

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