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APPENDIX C REPORT OF BOARDS OF EXAMINERS Mines Department, Wellington, 23rd May, 1949. The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. Sir On behalf of the Boards of Examiners under the Mining and Coal-mine Acts, I have the honour to submit the following report on the work of the Boards during the past year. Mining Act. —At the annual examinations, which were held on the sth, 6th, and 7th October, 1948, two candidates sat for First-class Mine-manager's Certificate (one for the whole examination, and the other, who held a partial pass, to complete the examination), two candidates for Battery Superintendent's Certificate, and one candidate for Dredgemaster's Class B Certificate. At the 1948 annual meeting the Board, after consideration of a report furnished by a sub-committee set up at the end of 1947 to revise the syllabus for the examinations for Mine-managers' Certificates, fully agreed with the expressed view of the sub-committee that such syllabus did not make adequate provision for the training of students in mining industrial law and business management. It was accordingly recommended to the Mines Department that the syllabus be amended by introducing a fresh subject, " Mining Economics," and by so enlarging the subject " Law " as to require a student to acquire a general knowledge of industrial conciliation and arbitration and workers' compensation. The Board also considered that candidates for Battery Superintendents' Certificates should have some knowledge of mining industrial law, and it was recommended to the Mines Department that the Mining Regulations be amended to that end. Coal-mines Act. —The annual examinations for candidates for Mine-managers' Certificates were held at Huntly, Greymouth, Reefton, Westport, and Dunedin on sth, 6th, and 7th October, 1948. In addition, examinations were held at G-reymouth for Mine Surveyor's Certificates, and at Greymouth and Reefton for Electricians' Certificates. The annual examinations for Underviewers' and Firemen-deputies' Certificates were held at Dunedin on sth and 6th October ; at Kamo on 19th October ; at Huntly on Bth, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th November; at Westport on 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th November ; at Greymouth on 17th, 18th, and 19th November. Three special examinations (affecting five candidates) for Firemen-deputies' Certificates were held during the year. Application for examination by three candidates who were unable to prove the, prescribed minimum underground experience were declined. The total number of candidates sitting the various examinations under the Coalmines Act was ninety-four, an increase of nineteen as compared with the previous year. Sixty-nine Gas-testing Certificates were granted to candidates during 1948, while 129 holders of Gas-testing Certificates more than five years old passed a re-examination in gas-testing. Duplicates of five lost Gas-testing Certificates were issued. Pursuant to subsection (5) of section 6, Coal-mines Amendment Act, 1937, the endorsement of four Underviewers' and thirteen Firemen-deputies' Certificates has been recorded in the Board's Register of Certificates. The Board also recorded in the Register particulars of fifty-five certificates of proficiency in mine-rescue work issued to men who had undergone a course of instruction in the use of self-contained breathing-apparatus and in other related subjects and had passed a practical examination.

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