C.—2.

SCHOOLS OF MINES. The control of the Schools of Mines is vested in district committees, which take a very active interest in the work. It is with pleasure that I place on record the increasing interest displayed in the work of these schools, which is of basic importance to the future of the mining industry. Six scholarships are offered annually by the Department for competition by students attending the various Schools of Mines within the Dominion. Five candidates sat for the annual Scholarship Examinations held in November, 1939, and of these candidates, two (one from the Dunedin School and one from the Waihi School) were successful in gaining scholarships, which are tenable for four years at the University of Otago. The expenditure on Schools of Mines for the year ended 31st March, 1940, was £3,631, as compared with £3,460 for the previous year. MINERS' BENEFITS. The provisions for the payment of the former miners' pensions are now contained in the Social Security Act, which became operative from the Ist April, 1939. The conditions of payment are similar to those previously obtaining, and this class of benefit may be authorized to miners who are seriously and permanently incapacitated by miners' phthisis or totally incapacitated by heart or other occupational disease associated with the mining service in New Zealand. The rate of benefit to a miner is 30s. a week, with an additional 10s. a week for his wife, if he is married. There is also provision for the payment of 10s. weekly for each dependent child under the age of sixteen years, subject to a maximum benefit of £4 10s. weekly, but the grant in respect of the children is reduced by all other income of the family in excess of £2 a week. A widow of a miner who died while in receipt of a benefit is entitled to receive 17s. 6d. a week during widowhood. This scheme, which originated in the Miners' Phthisis Act, 1915, is administered by the Social Security Department, and the following summary of the operations for the year ended 31st March, 1940, has been supplied by that Department— Payments made from Ist November, 1915, to 31st £ March, 1939 .. .. .. .. 1,078,719 Payments, 1939-40 .. .. .. .. 92,765 £1,171,484 Number of new grants for year 1939-40 — Miners .. .. .. «. 47 Widows .. .. .. .» 14 — 61 Annual value of new grants .. .. .. £5,314 Number of benefits in force at 31st March, 1940— Miners .. .. .. .. 838 Widows .. .. .. .. 152 — 990 Annual value of benefits in force at 31st March, 1940 .. £90,302 Annual benefit per annum .. .. .. £91 4s. 3d. Number of benefits granted to 31st March, 1940 .. 2,934 Dissection of benefits in force at 31st March, 1940 — Unmarried miners .. .. .. 236 Married miners . . .. .. 602 Miners' widows .. .. .. 152 990 COAL-MINERS' RELIEF FUND. The Coal-miners' Sick and Accident Funds having been abolished as from the Ist April, 1926, and incorporated in the Coal-miners' Relief Fund, all accident-relief payments are now made from the latter fund, which is administered by the Public Trustee.

2—C. 2.

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