C.—2.
The output of the several classes of coal mined in each inspection district is summarized as follows: —
Table showing the Increase or Decrease in the Annual Production of Coal and Oil Shale in the Dominion, and the Quantity of Coal imported since 1878.
Table showing Quantity of Coal exported annually from New Zealand from 1937 to 1941. Ycar _ Q Ton" y ' Year " Q Tonf y ' 1937 .. .. .. 113,116 I 1940 .. .. .. 81,287 1938 .. .. .. 55,711 | 1941 .. .. .. 58,179* 1939 .. .. .. 4-3,990 | * Includes 58,814 tons bunkers, value £103,164, and 5,365 tons cargo, value £6,336. STATE COAL-MINES. The output from the State coal-mines for the financial year 1941-42 was 354,708 tons, compared with 281,506 for the previous year. This is the highest output ever recorded in the history of the Department, and all collieries, except Liverpool, contributed to the increase. There was a slight decrease of 1-7 per cent, in the production at the Liverpool Colliery. The Blackball Colliery, which was about to be abandoned by the owners, was taken over by the State during the year and operated as a State colliery. Development work was pushed ahead in the hope of locating an area of coal which would be less friable than that being worked, but without success so far. The Department is now pushing ahead with plans to establish a briquetting-works to enable it to increase output to an economic level. A geological survey of an area in the vicinity of the mine was carried out during the year, and a boring programme is now being put in hand to determine the possibilities of the field. Satisfactory progress was made at the two State collieries in the North Island which were taken over in 1940. At Mangapehi development has proceeded during the year and a boring programme is now in progress. The Tatu Mine has not yet been placed on a proper trading basis owing to the fact that the major proportion of the work has been of a developmental nature. Major development is now reaching an end and trading accounts will be commenced as from Ist October next. Full details in respect of the operations at the collieries appear in the annual report of the State Coal-mines (C.-2a). At the time of writing this report the financial accounts have not been completed and audited, but the provisional figures indicate a satisfactory trading year. These accounts will also be presented in the annual report of the State Coal-mines. A comparative statement for the last two financial years is shown hereunder : —
3
Output of Coal during 1941. Total Output Class of Coal. Northern West Coast Southern w !° q . , District District District Total. 01 1J11 ' (North Island). (SouthIsland). (SouthIsland). Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Bituminous and sub - bitu- 80,367 1,099,214 .. 1,179,581 55,153,167 minous Brown .. .. .. 837,629 76,136 412,245 1,326,010 37,009,976 Lignite .. .. .. .. 745 133,171 133,916 5,812,532 Totals for 1941 .. 917,996 1,176,095 545,416 2,639,507 97,975,675 Totals for 1940 .. 869,970 1,124,057 522,072 2,516,099 95,336,168
Coal and Shale raised in the Dominion. Coal imported. Year. rr, Yearly Increase or T Increase over Decrease below Decrease. ' Preceding Year. Preceding Year. Prior to 1937 .. 85,977,54-3 .. 13,583,196 1937 .. .. 2,277,799 Inc. 137,582 116,499 5,421 1938 .. .. 2,222,088 Deo. 55,711 109,206 .. 7,293 1939 .. .. 2,342,639 Inc. 120,551 111,537 2,331 1940 .. .. 2,516,099 Inc. 173,460 64,860 .. 46,677 1941 .. .. 2,639,507 Inc. 123,408 78,171* 13,311 * From Australia; value, £96,128.
Output in Tons, 1941-42. Output, in Tons, 1940-41. p< §>-^ ■s ® -i s "S Mine. : g °j © § «£ Gross. Net. Gross. Net. <3 8 o Jj 2 -g PUfljz; Liverpool .. .. .. 163,799 157,170 166,529 159,610 1-7* 1-6* Strongman .. .. 87,402 85,381 78,262 76,330 11-7 11-8 James .. .. .. 26,549 25,809 22,936 22,045 15-8 17-0 Blackball 25,950 25,773 Mangapehi.. .. .. 40,849 38,920 13,213 12,065 209-1 222-6 Tatu .. .. .. 10,159 8,875 566 566 Totals „ 354,708 341,928 281,506 270,616 26-0 26-4 * Decrease. Note.—The difference between the gross and the net output is the allowance for mine consumption and waste. In addition to the above, 17,760 tons of coal was purchased for resale.