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The gross output from the colliery since its acquisition by the Government on 20th October, 1944, amounts to 464,636 tons 13 cwt. Days Worked. —The colliery worked 218 days 2| hours out of a possible 240 ordinary working-days. No statutory holidays were worked. The difference between the ordinary working-days (218 days 2|- hours) and the possible number of workingdays (240) is accounted for as follows : 7 days 3| hours, stopwork meetings ; 1 day, Auckland carpenters' dispute ; 1 day, funeral of an employee ; f day, breakdown of engine ; 1 day, breakdown on haulage ; 5 days, dispute re machineman ; 3 days, mass meetings, Huntly; f day, general election; \ day, shortage of wagons ; f day, medical meeting ; 2 days, death of Hon. P. G. Webb. Employees. —ln connection with coal-winning the average number of persons employed in and about the mine was 196 men and 2 boys, made up as follows : Coalhewers, 66 ; officials, shiftmen, truckers, 102. Surface, 28 men and 2 boys. Coal-hewers' Average Daily Earnings. —The average daily earnings of the coalhewers was £3 lis. 9d. ; after deducting explosives the net return was £3 7s. 4d., an increase of 6s. 3d. per day when compared with the previous year. Daily Output. —The average daily output from the mine was 398 tons 12 cwt. 2 qr. and the hewers' daily output was 6 tons 14 cwt. 3 qr., compared with 398 tons 4 cwt. and 6 tons 15 cwt. for the previous year. The number of hewers' shifts was 12,950, as compared with 13,962 for the previous year. Note.—The basis of computing hewer shifts at this mine has been altered to bring it into line with the basis used at other mines. Deficiencies. —Nil. Accidents. —During the year the number of accidents which necessitated absence from work for more than three days was 114, a decrease of 54 as compared with the previous year. On the 25th August, 1949, a miner sustained a fractured pelvis. On the 7th December, 1949, a shiftman sustained a fractured leg. Apart from these two accidents, none were of a serious nature. Underground Workings. —No. 2 Mine : All coal won from this mine was from pillar-extraction. Production ceased at the mine, 7th July, 1949, all available coal having been extracted. All workmen employed were transferred to No. 3 Extended Mine. No. 3 Mine : These workings ceased production 24th January, 1950. All coal which could be safely extracted without endangering the main haulage from the No. 3 Extended Mine was extracted. No. 3 Extended Mine —No. 2 East Section : Pillar-extraction has been carried on north and south of haulage road. Wherever possible, the " places " have been machine cut. No. 3 East Section : Development was continued to north and south of main headings. On the north side, development was continued for some 6 chains when a fairly extensive upthrow fault was encountered. Pillar-extraction was commenced at this point. On the south side, development was continued until a point was reached where the seam was split by thick intervening stone bands. Pillar-extraction was therefore commenced. In the Main and Tail Subsection, the main headings were driven to the outcrop when pillar-extraction commenced. Solid work on the outbye high side has recently been completed. No. 4 East Section : All coal from this section was won from pillar-extraction. No. 3 and 4 West: These are relatively small areas, and coal-production has been from small development in the former, and pillar-extraction in the latter.

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