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think should be expended in proving faults ?—You must understand that in working to the dip you will require special plant; you would require pipes to be laid to the inside fault. 1180. The Chairman.] You have worked in solid coal?— Yes. 1181. And pillar-workings ?—Yes. 1182. How many tons or skips did you put out for your own share in a day of eight hours? — I should think about 3 tons or 3| tons in the solid coal; sometimes not that. 1183. Mr. Moody.] What was the price per ton ?—Four shillings. 1184. The Chairman.] Suppose you were paid on the whole coal, how many skips of coal would there be (unscreened) ?—Perhaps about nine or ten skips. 1185. That is, about 4|- to 5 tons of the whole coal unscreened? —Yes. 1186. Have you worked at this coal under the new arrangement —that is, payment on the gross weight ? —Yes. 1187. And then what did you make per day? How much did your wages reach under that arrangement for nine or ten skips, as compared with the previous arrangement ? —They were just about an equivalent. I consider the payment of 4s. on screened coal would be an equivalent. 1188. To how much of the whole coal ?—I consider it would be equal to 2s. 8-Jd. on the gross coal. 1189. Are the Brunner pillars easy to work ?—Yes; they are very crushed, and not such a height as in the Coal-pit Heath. 1190. Is it a greater advantage to have them high or low?— They should be about 7ft. 1191. Do you take all the coal out at once ?—-We take it out in lifts. 1192. You have, I suppose, to set timber?— Yes. That is where the miners generally grumble, having more timber to set. 1193. The timber-setting is included in the tonnage-price ?—Yes. 1194. Supposing the whole coal from the Coal-pit Heath pillars is worth 2s. 84. per ton, what do you think the Brunner pillars would be worth ?—About 4d. or sd. per ton less. That is to say, they are easier to work. 1195. Notwithstanding the timber-working and the working in lifts? —You understand, it is not easier to work; but the timber is longer, and it is not so easy to set 16ft. props as 7ft. You could put two 7ft. props up in the same time that one 16ft. would take. I should like to call attention to Eule No. 37 of the " Special Eules," under the " of Coal-mines Act, 1886," for the Grey Valley Coal Company. Eule No. 37 says : " Every collier shall, under direction of the underviewer or his deputy, set a sufficient quantity of props and bars for safely supporting the roof and sides in his w ! orking-place. The timber shall be properly set, and be removed and renewed as often as is necessary." Ido not think that rule is sufficiently definite as to the distance. 1196. I think 12ft. is a fair amount? —If a man keeps the place properly timbered-up that is all that is expected of him. 1197. You say you think 2s. 4d. or 2s. sd. should be the price for the Brunner pillars?— Yes. 1198. Mr. Moody.] You do not lay the skip-road down ? —No; the roads are laid down by the company for that purpose. 1199. Where are the skips placed, for the use of the miners?— You have got to run them to the incline. 1200. What distance is that from the face generally ?—lt depends upon the distance between the two inclines. The stipulated distance is 50 yards, but sometimes it is varied to 60 or 65. We have to take the full skip from the bord to the top of the incline jig and send it down to the bottom, and this brings up the empty. 1201. Where is the timber placed?—lt is brought to the sidings, and the jtruckers have to bring it up the incline from the bottom. 1202. Do you take possession of it from the bottom of the incline?— Yes ; or, if working on the level, from the first " flat sheet." 1203. Then the timber for the use of the miners is brought to the bottom of the workings, and you have to truck it up to your face ?—To the bottom of the incline it is brought, and we have to jig it up to the top and take it to the working-places. 1204. Mr. Brown.] What distance would that be?— About 50 yards or 70 yards; it just depends upon the length of the incline. If the incline is what we call a double incline you have to take it a double distance. 1205. The Chairman.] Have you any remarks to make as to how far the engine, plant, and the keeping the mines in good order is sufficient ?—I may say in the Coal-pit Heath the main road is kept in good order, and also the air-ways. It is necessary they should be always looked to. 1206. Is the ventilation good ?—Yes ; it is fairly good. 1207. Have you any trouble with the chains or hauling-gear ? Have you any complaints to make about that ?—No. 1208. Is it a chain or a rope ?—A chain and staple. Sometimes a winch if it is too far to run. 1209. Is there much waste of coal at the mine ? —ln pillar-work there is always a lot of waste. 1210. What is done with the waste coal ?—I see they have been firing with it lately for the engine. There is nothing else to take, and it can be utilised for coke. 1211. Is much coal put into the river?—l have never noticed a great deal going into the river. 1212. Is the miners' firing coal small coal?— Yes; but sometimes it is pretty good, and at other times you can scarcely burn it. 1213. Have you anything else to remark?—l think it would be necessary for the Government to place a subsidy on the estimates of £3,000 or £4,000 for proving the coal leases by boring. 1214. Even after they are leased?— Yes ; I think it would be to their own advantage. 1215. Would not that be a bad precedent to start ?—They could use discretion in it. I think