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2119. Does that mean specific trucks allocated to one mine, and used for no other mine ?—A specific number, and they were allowed to fill that number in anticipation. 2120. But not specific trucks ?—No, not specific trucks. 2.121. The Chairman.] That worked very well?— Yes, except in one instance in one mine. 2122. Which was that?—lt was the Tyneside. 2123. What was the matter there ?—The monthly output was small. They were only entitled to a small number of trucks. 2124. Is your mineral traffic ever stopped from the trucks being all filled with coal?— Not much recently ; nor for the last two years. 2125. The traffic has not been stopped from the trucks being all filled, above a day or so?— No. 2126. I understand from that that the trucks are emptied with sufficient rapidity to enable them to be returned to the mine, but that occasionally a day occurs on which the mines have to stop, and you have to stop ?—Yes. 2127. That is owing to the want of shipping?— Yes, generally. It is, of course, really due to the shipping, because ships may be on the way, and at other times they may be detained outside by bad weather. 2128. Have you any return showing the stoppages ? Do you keep any such record ?—I have not kept any record. 2129. The railw 7 ay is stopped and everything is quite idle at these times?— Not entirely idle. We try to find something for the men to do, but it is not full employment. 2130. That leads to the question as to how far, in your opinion, increased storage would facilitate the traffic ? —lt would if w 7 e had storage at the port. It would stop some of these idle days. 2131. Would storage at the mine effect that?—lt would have no effect on that. Since the amalgamation the Wallsend Mine has been frequently stopped. 2132. Why ?—Because there w 7 as more demand for the other coal. The company would stop the Wallsend Mine working and keep the other two going when there was a limited number of trucks. 2133. So that in that case it was not really the want of trucks, but it was simply that they were used for other mines ?—That is it. 2134. Increased storage would not have had any effect upon that, because it w 7 ould not have removed that cause ? —No. 2135. How much storage do you think it desirable to provide at the port ? Have you made any notes on that at all ?—No ; I have not made any notes. Our average output is 3,000 tons per week. That is the average quantity shipped. 2136. Yes ; and how much do your wagons store ?—Our wagons will store 1,500 tons. 2137. What is the average time for a wagon to be occupied, from the time it leaves the mine until it returns to the mine ? Can you give us any idea of that ? How many trips does a wagon make in a week?—l could not tell you that. I have known instances where trucks have gone up from Greymouth at 1 o'clock, say, been loaded at the mine with nuts out of the bins, and been back here at a quarter to 3. 2138. Not three hours? —It is only an hour and three-quarters. It is only the time of running up there and back again, and thirty-five minutes up there shunting. While they were shunting the train they filled those trucks. 2139. But if your weekly output is 3,000 tons, and your wagon-space is 1,500 tons, on the average a wagon only makes two trips a week ? —Yes; it would only average that. 2140. Whereas they could make several trips a day ?—They could not always do that. 2141. What would be the time they could work without interfering with the general traffic?— They might make tw 7 o trips a day. 2142. Twelve trips a week?— Yes, supposing the steamers were there to receive the coal. 2143. That would be six times the present output ? —Yes. 2144. Mr. Moody.] Would your cranes be able to do 18,000 tons a week?— They could do 3,000 tons a day. A day would mean twenty-four hours. 2145. The Chairman.] In three shifts?— Yes. We do occasionally work twenty-four hours shipping coal. 2146. The cranes could put this through ?—Yes. 2147. But the work would have to be continuous, night and day?—lt often is. 2148. Mr. Moody.] You have tw 7 o cranes ?—Yes. 2149. Mr. Brown.] You have no limitation as to the hours in the railway service here ?—No. 2150. The Chairman.] Do you pay overtime ? —We have an extra staff of men for day and night work. 2151. Would you have locomotives enough to overtake that extra work ?—Yes. It might perhaps require another locomotive. We should also require more men, because they would work night and day. We do not w 7 ork every night and day. 2152. You would certainly require more men?— Yes. 2153. In the event of additional storage accommodation being provided at the port, what, in your opinion, would be the best form—additional wagons, or to have self-delivering staiths, such as at Westport, or what other system ?—I w 7 ould recommend simply storage-bins. 2154. Mr. Moody.] The coal would be shipped from these bins direct into the vessel?—No; they would be away from the ship. 2155. The Chairman.] And from these bins the coal would be redelivered into wagons ?—Yes. 2156. And put on board ship by cranes in the ordinary way?— Yes. I might say that I should only reckon upon those bins being used for steamer or unscreened coal. 2157. Have you considered what would be the cost of the extra handling involved in such a