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Taramalci District. Aria Colliery.—No further work was done at this mine during the year. However as a new party have now taken over the lease, it is to be expected that coal-production will be resumed shortly. Manqavehi State Colliery, MangapeU.—'The main headings', both intake and return have been brushed down to the bottom levels, a distance of 21 chains. Beyond this level the main headings have been dewatered and the intake has been brushed for 6 chains more. _ t Top East Levels: The main levels are standing against a down-throw fault at 24 chains trom the No. 1 panel to the rise has practically completed development and some of the top coal above the roa %erolopmait t! of l No. 2 panel is also nearly completed, _as all of the rise places have reached a downthrow fault which is being proved by a stone drive andl boring. The entries for No. 3 panel have been driven, but prospects of development are poor on account of the likelihood of striking the convergence of the two faults mentioned above. Top west section is now formed, and development lias been stopped against faulting to the south aml Bottom east levels have been driven 7 chains from the main haulage and are at present standing in o-ood coal Panel-development can be started here when required. " Bottom west levels penetrated the _ faulting and opened out for 4 chains, but faulting has been encountered again with floor rolls and thin and crushed coal. During the year an average of fourteen pairs of men have been engaged on the coal. A bore is being put down from the surface on the line of the mam heading, in order to test the seam bevond the faulting. The hole is down 870 ft., but is not yet near the coal horizon . ' ' Tatu State Colliery, Ohura.—The north-west development headings have been driven 12 chains beyond the fault to a distance of 14J chains from the main heading. The coal is of good quality and 6 ft. to 8 Development to the north-east of these headings ran into further faulting at 4 chains from the main r ° ad To the south-west a panel has been developed in good coal and a pair of headings continued to the line of the main drive beyond the large fault on which it is standing. Headmgs m coal to continue the main drive are being driven north-east and south-west, and the north-east face is withm (,0 ft. of <omectingwftli the main drive face. The south-west face has now reached a distance of 25 chains from th<s On 'ISthAprii a small amount of inflammable gas was reported in the north-west section, and electric safety-lamps were introduced by the management throughout the mine. Mine Rescue-station. During the year five rescue brigades were trained by Mr. F. Duffy, who was temporarily transferred to Huntlv in order to start this training. Mr. Duffy returned to the West Coast early m the New Year, and was succeeded by Mr. A. Lennox, who has been appointed Superintendent to continue the training. Fatality. Percy Larwood, a surface worker employed at Rotowaro Colliery, while shovelling slack out of a railwav wagon on lltli June slipped and fell between the truck and an elevatoi, striking lus chest. He continued wo?k until 29th June, and died on 3rd August. The cause of death was stated as pericarditis following an injury due to the fall. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. On Ist August, D. Puncheon, a trucker at Wilton Colliery, sustained a fracture of the right fibula. "• «... m« *—f »"• — ■« ~ rstpias.'s 1 : jszfnsst —«. —<*«. - right wrist, h A Levet employed at the Renown Colliery, received serious burns on the right hind and right side He was assisting the mine electrician, who was present at the time, m fitting a trifurcatingbox at an outside substation. Levet slipped and caught at a pullwire. The wire broke and touched the incoming high-tension leads to the switch. Dangerous Occurrences (Regulation 81, Coal Mines Regulations 1039). On Sunday, Bth February, a fire occurred in the Rope End section, South Mine, Pukemiro Colliery. ThS (f p.m. fire was discovered coming from a disused exit at No. 4 Daylight, No mZ Rotowaro : Colliery. The fire, which had a good hold, was put put by 8 p.m. with water pumped from an adjacent creek, and by 10.30 p.m. the drive was sealed, this fire affected the outcrop ' I „,,„f nniv ms the line of pillar-extraction was some o chains away. " d - sTiSf-c, «h. 2ssrtss w *t?&s ZSis &m£Sr«c*- a was o^^t^ 1 Glen Afton SrniJ Ltd!, reported that a small quantity of hot coal had * &£*&£ X " E h OnT7th Jiine t n smSl fire was discovered by the night-shift deputy at the F wall stopping, Glen Afton No. 1 Colbery at'th" edge of the concrete arching. The fire was put out, and the arching has been continued Aueust an inrush of water occurred, following heavy rain, at the South Mine, On Thursday, 27th August, w , iter frQm a ' dara in the old east section and caused Estoppage oflhe South Mine for the day owing to the flooding of the South No. 1 Junction. A better reported the finding of a small quantity On Ist October the unue the face of the main dip, which had been recently unwatered. of inflammable gas above ■ unsatisfaot ory owing to the presence of extinctive gas, but the analysis ™ r ,er oocur - oe ° a ; has been reported from this mine, though a close watcH lias been kept. Prosecutions. No prosecutions for breaches of the Coal-mines Act or regulations were taken during 1942. WEST COAST INSPECTION DISTRICT (J. McArthur and C. Hunter, Inspectors op Coal-mines). In accordance with section 42 of the Coal-mines Act, 1925, we have the honour to submit our annual report on the operations of the coal-mines in the West Coast Inspection istric ,

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