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ANNEXURE A SUMMARY OF REPORTS BY INSPECTORS OF COAL-MINES NORTHERN INSPECTION DISTRICT (C. Hunter, Inspector op Coal-mines) Summary op Operations op each Colliery por the Year 1947 North Auckland District Kamo Colliery (J. Makinson (First Class), Mine-manager).—The area from which coal was produced during the year is divided into two main sections, known as the East Dip and Slant Dip Sections. Thepoint of entry to East Dip Section coincides approximately with the interception of the coal-seam by the No. 3 Mine stone drive, the coal produced in the section being landed in the lay bye at foot of stone drive by means of direct hauler suitably placed to secure this. The dip has been extended to a distance of 22 chains from the top and is in coal approximately 8 ft. in thickness. The workings which lie to the " left " of dip, or the east side, accommodate 8 pairs of miners. Coal is won from two separatesets of levels, the lower of these being approximately 3| chains from the face of dip. In the lower levels preparatory work for the formation of a panel between them and the next set of levels above is in progress. In the upper set of levels the faces have been advanced a distance of 11 chains in a north-easterly direction from the dip side and are approaching a downthrow faulting of between 15 ft. to 20 ft. The coal mined is from the bottom seam. Early in the year attention was drawn to the height of travelling road and hauling dip, which was getting too low for comfortable walking ; however, at the end of the year very little had been done towards rectifying this condition, shortage of shiftmen being the plea, advanced. In the Slant Dip Section there has been no advancement of the face of main dip, which is standing at approximately 57 chains from the point of entry in inferior coal of only 3 ft. in thickness.. The coal-production is secured from a section entered by way of a pair of dips driven from the main Slant Dip in a south-easterly direction from a point 14 chains up the dip from the face of Slant Dip.. In this section, 7 pairs are placed; the seam is known as the top seam and is of good-quality coal approximately 8 ft. to 9 ft. in thickness. In a pair of levels about midway down the Slant Dip 3 pairs are placed driving to the rise. The new No. 6 Drive from the surface is being worked on one shift and has been driven for a distance of about 300 ft., or an advancement for the year of 170 ft. Waro Colliery (P. T. Peattie (First Class), Mine-Manager).—The final stage of extraction of pillars was completed, and the mine closed down on 19th September, 1947. Whareora Colliery (J. A. Pollock (Deputy), Mine-manager).—Only 40 tons of coal was produced before ceasing operations on the 30th June, 1947. Cunningham's Opencast, Hikurangi (C. G. Cunningham (Underviewer), Mine-manager).—A party of 2 men have been employed on the recovery of some stumps of pillars left in by a previous partyRecovery of this coal is secured by means of stripping the overburden. It is not considered that there is a long life ahead of this venture. Kiripaka Coal-mine (H. Pawson (Permit), Mine-manager).—A lease of this freehold property wassecured by H. Pawson with the intention of opencasting to secure some pillars that had been left from an old mine previously worked in that area. Due to the nature of the work and the dangerous conditions existing, they were instructed in January of the current year to cease operations until a sufficiently qualified person could be secured to take charge of the work. A little over 300 tons had been produced from this area from the time of starting. Waikato District Pukemiro Colliery (S. R. Eyeington (First Class), Mine-manager).—The output from this company'slease is secured from the operating of two mines, known as the North and South Mines. . In conjunction with the underground workings in the North Mine it was found expedient to conduct coal-winning operations as from the surface outcrop in the No. 2 Right Section. This was done by means of stripping the surface cover, the men employed on the production of coal working in the open. The coal thus won is hauled through the mine to the main rope road and then transported to the screensSeveral thousands of tons of coal have by this means been recovered which otherwise would have been lost along the outcrop horizon. The above is the only departure from the routine work of pillarextraction which has been conducted for many years in this mine. The retreating line of extraction is gradually reaching a predetermined boundary-line enclosing an area from which it is not intended to extract any pillars at present, thereby reducing the present productive life of the mine ; however, the output has for the meantime been augmented by output secured from the opencast workings.. Although the small pillar area is being left, provision for securing same at a later date is being made by leaving suitable means of ingress. The foregoing procedure has been adopted as a precautionary measure to prevent damage to surface property resulting from subsidence of strata consequent upon the removal of support from strata by way of the extraction of pillars. Seven pairs of miners are employed in the mine.

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