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2704. The Chairman.] Have you anything to say about the mine being in any respects in an unsafe condition ? Does the roof come down in a proper way ? —For practical miners the mines are safe. 2705. How does the roof come down when the pillars are taken out ? —Generally it comes very well, with a good slow settlement, and plenty of notice. Experienced miners can keep themselves quite safe in working the pillars out. 2706. Mr. Moody.] Do you know of your own knowledge if there has been any complaint made about the insufficient attendance of the Government Inspector?—l do not know that there has. The miners have the privilege of sending men round for themselves, and they did so right up till they struck. 2707. The Chairman.] These men report to whom?— They write their remarks in a reportbook kept in the manager's office. The Inspector of Mines reads that book, or is supposed to do so. Any complaint these Inspectors may have to make, or any suggestions or alterations for the better working or ventilation of the mines, are entered in this book. 2708. And how are these men selected ?—From the whole of the miners at the union meeting. 2709. How many are there selected generally ?—Two men. 2710. And they hold office for how long?— For three months. 2711. Do they get extra pay? —The miners pay them something extra. 2712. Just as they pay check-weighmen ? —They pay them a day's wage for each man every inspection they make.

Tuesday, 28th Octobee, 1890. Mr. Francis William Martin re-examined. 2713. The Chairman.] There are just a few points we wish to clear up in regard to the evidence you gave before, Mr. Martin. You promised to put in a tracing showing the exact distribution of the expenditure? —Yes, I have it here. [Tracing put in, and marked " Exhibit No. 26."] 2714. Can you point out to us what works are still in progress ? —There is nothing in progress except the Tainui-street training-wall. 2715. This is up to the 31st March, is it not ?—lt is up to about the middle of this year. 2716. What expenditure has there been since the 31st March. The returns you put in were made up to that date ?■—There has been about £10,000 expenditure. 2717. What, in your opinion, will be the expenditure for the future, and upon what works?— This Tainui-street training-bank has to be finished yet. It has to go down Ido not know exactly how far, but say £5,000 will be required to complete it. 2718. Any other work ?—There have been strong representations for some time as to increasing the length of the south breakwater. 2719. From wdiom ?—From ships' masters, owing to the difficulty as to the south wall not projecting sufficiently. The position can best be understood by referring to a map of Greymouth Harbour in Parliamentary Paper D.-8, 1889. [Parliamentary paper produced, and marked " Exhibit No. 27."] When a vessel is coming in she is apt to get driven on to the north breakwater by the force of the sea before she gets under the protection of the south breakwater, and the ships' masters are very much in favour of extending this south breakwater so as to get some protection, so that the north breakwater would be under the lee of it when the heaviest sea is on. But against that there is a certain amount of danger in extending it, for fear of the shingle getting round the end of the south wall if this is taken too far away from the place where the channel is contracted. 2720. Then you might get a shingle-bar?— There is a danger of that. 2721. Did Sir John Coode contemplate this contingency in his plans?—He showed a breakwater, and then an extension of that breakwater, and w 7 e have made his original breakwater and his extension; but he does not seem to have realised the difficulty and danger found by the shipping. There has already been one vessel, named the " Gerda," 'driven on to the north breakwater, and another vessel, called the " Mawhera," was driven round and narrowly escaped the breakwater, but got beached; while another vessel had an extremely narrow 7 escape that I have heard of. I know that the captains of the vessels coming here look upon this danger with great dread, and they think if the south wall could be extended without deteriorating the harbour it would be a great benefit. It is hard to say, but probably the best and only way of meeting the difficulty w 7 ould be to go on and endeavour to extend it, and so long as no deterioration took place we could continue it until shelter was obtained. If a slight deterioration did take place, the north breakwater could be extended a little to correct it. 2722. What would such extensions of the breakwater cost per chain, say ?—They cost about £50 a foot; but as you get further out the exposure becomes greater, and you require to use bigger stones. I should therefore estimate £70 a foot, to cover contingencies. 2723. How many feet do you contemplate? —Five hundred feet has been advocated; but it is hard to say if that could be carried out, for the reason that we might have to stop before we got so far as that. Supposing the proposition to be carried out, £35,000 or £40,000 would be necessary for it. 2724. Is there any other work contemplated ?—No, there is no other work contemplated unless it is this : that it is very likely- some dredging would be desirable in the river-channel. 2725. What would the dredging cost ?—lt is hard to say what quantity there would be. 2726. Is it done by contract or by day-labour ?—By day-labour. This would be the simplest way to realise it: a channel about 50ft. wide and about 3ft. deep throughout the frontage of the wharf would cost about £800. 2727. And is it such a channel as you contemplate having to be kept clear?—lt ought to be