C.—2.

The disposals, inclusive of stock on hand at the beginning of the year, were as follows :—

The following table shows the total sales of State coal from the State mines as compared with the previous year, and the average f.o.r. price realized by each mine, exclusive of subsidy:—

The sales of coal, &c., through the medium of the depots totalled 263,800 tons, value £441,337, as against 194,619 tons, value £341,385 for the previous year. HOUSING. Up to the end of June, 1942, a total of 103 loans have been granted to miners and other workmen under the State Coal-mines Housing Scheme to enable them to erect and own their own homes. No departmental rental dwellings were erected in Runanga during the year, but plans of a single men's hostel are being prepared, for which tenders will be invited shortly. At the Tatu Mine one residence for a colliery clerk was built, six other dwellings for workmen are in course of construction, and twelve married men's hutments were erected near the mine itself. At Benneydale, the township at which the Mangapehi workmen reside, a total of forty-two houses have been erected, some of which have not been quite finished, and, in addition to a number of comfortable single men's hutments, a hostel to provide improved accommodation for single men is nearly completed. CO-OPERATIVE MINING, STATE COAL RESERVE. Nineteen co-operative parties working portions of the State Coal Reserve near Greymouth produced during the year 1941, 85,333 tons, the number of men employed being 152. During the previous year nineteen parties produced 95,553 tons, there being a decrease this year of 10,220 tons. Up to the end of 1941 co-operative parties have produced a grand total of 1,625,603 tons of coal and have in the same period paid royalties to the State amounting to £77,162. RESCUE-STATIONS. The rescue-station buildings at Rotowaro and Ohai have now been completed, and residences for the officers in charge are under construction. Practically all the equipment for these stations is being obtained from overseas, and as the result of war conditions there has been some delay in deliveries. However, equipment is now coming to hand and it is expected that training will soon be commenced at these new stations. Courses of training continue at the Dobson Rescue-station, and excellent progress is still being made by the trainees. SOCIAL AMENITIES IN MINING TOWNSHIPS. Further assistance was extended during the year in the construction of swimming-baths, tenniscourts, bowling-greens, &c., in pursuance of the Government's policy of improving living-conditions in the mining townships. CARBONIZING AND BRIQUETTING. The following figures show the production of the low-temperature coal-carbonizing and briquetting plant of Waikato Carbonization, Ltd., at Rotowaro, during 1941 : — Raw coal carbonized .. .. .. .. .. 32,260 tons. Carbonized coal produced .. .. .. .. .. 15,807 tons. Average percentage of carbonized coal to raw coal .. .. 49 per cent. Carbonettes manufactured .. .. .. .. .. 14,300 tons. Tar and oil treated .. .. .. .. .. .. 289,933 gals. Pitch produced .. .. .. .. .. .. 592 tons. Light and heavy oils produced .. .. .. .. 6,973 gals. Creosote produced .. .. .. .. .. .. 140,926 gals. "Char" sold for producer-gas plants .. .. .. .. 2,939 tons. " Char " sold for other purposes .. .. .. .. 444 tons.

4

Supplied to 1941-42. 1940-41 Percentage Increase. Tons. Tons. Depots.. .. .. .. .. .. 118,430 75,860 56-2 Railways .. .. .. .. .. 72,506 56,322 28-8 Other Government Departments .. .. .. 18,309 13,630 30-0 Shipping .. .. .. .. .. 8,131 9,132 10-9* Gasworks .. .. .. .. .. 107,522 102,627 4-7 Other consumers .. .. .. .. 13,519 10,278 31-5 Totals .. „ .. 338,417 267,849 26-4 * Decrease

tli- Total Sales, Total Sales, Percentage Average Price f.o.r. 1941-42. 1940-41. Increase. realized. Tons. Tons. s. d. Liverpool .. .. 155,349 157,706 1-6* 18 2-85 Strongman .. .. 80,754 75,535 6-9 21 7-19 James .. .. .. 26,190 21,989 19-6 18 2-59 Blackball .. .. 22,415 .. .. 16 5'42 Mangapehi .. .. 38,851 12,053 222-3 19 7-47 Tatu .. .. .. 14,858 566 .. 20 4-13 Totals .. .. 338,417 267,849 26-1 .. * Decrease.