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2894. What do you expect to effect with that ?—We expect to drain the Coal-pit Heath workings. 2895. How long will that take?— Three months' pumping. We have just got the pumps started, although the boiler is not ready. The long-continued w 7 et weather is giving us as much as we can do to keep it down. 2896. Is there any other arrangement being made for pumping, or for holing the coal beyond the fault ? —We have new plant in the colony, and we are about to proceed to put that down. 2897. Mr. Brown.] For pumping beyond the fault ?—Yes, that is, in the Brunner Mine. 2898. The Chairman.] When will that be in order?—ln three or four months' time. 2899. So that in three or four months' time from now you will have a large additional amount of mine-room available ?—Yes. We hope to have the Brunner dip-workings ready for opening out. We have 12 chains of the heading driven now, and we hope to lower the workings in the Coalpit Heath. 2900. Mr. Moody.] Have you any whole coal available at present ?—They have in the dip of the Brunner. 2901. Is that free from water?—No, it will not be available until the pumping-plant is down. 2902. The Chairman.] How many would be a reasonable number of men to find employment for with the two shifts working after two months from now ?—Two hundred hewers are quite sufficient for our trade unless it becomes abnormal. 2903. Mr. Brown.] Can you find room for that number then?— Yes, quite easily. 2904. The Chairman.] How many can you find room for now ?—For 150 men in the two shifts. 2905. How many years' coal would you consider you had won under those circumstances. lam not talking of coal beyond the faults. That is, with 200 hewers ?—That is, the coal-dip at Brunner ? 2906. And the Coal-pit Heath too—that is, taking 200 hewers ?—We have ten years' work. 2907. How would you arrive at the value of the coal in order to compare it with the coal from any other place. For instance, if it was stated that the coal from the Grey Valley Company was worth so much more than the Westport coal, how would you proceed to arrive at that result, as a manager?—Do you mean the value in the market or the mining value? 2908. As a manager I w 7 ant to leave it to you? —We know that in the market there is a difference in the value. 2909. Amounting to what?— Amounting to 2s. 6d. a ton. 2910. In favour of the Westport coal ?—Yes. 2911. To what is that attributed?— Well, the Westport coal is very much approved of as a household coal, and meets with a readier market, and for steaming purposes as well. 2912. Is that due to the nature of the coal or to the state in which it is delivered ? Is it owing to any peculiarity or to the treatment it receives ?—lt is due to the character of the coal. It is altogether different coal; it is softer. The Westport coal has not the coking qualities which the Greymouth coal has. The Westport coal not coking, as ours does, renders it more suitable for household purposes, and also for steaming. 2913. It does not clog the furnace ? —No. 2914. So that the difference may be looked upon as a fundamental difference that cannot be overcome ?— It cannot be overcome; it is in the character of the coal itself. 2915. Does the plan that you have given us show the full work that has been done towards proving the second fault ?—lt shows all the channels. 2916. I would like to ask you a few questions about the stone drift beyond the second fault. Can you describe what was passed through ?—Yes. After getting clear of w 7 here we made the fault first we picked up from Ift. to 2ft. of coal, with a fireclay holing underneath it. It was lying practically level [showing on plan]. A number of the measures were lying flat. We went on for some 12 chains until we struck the second slip. 2917. Mr. Moody.] Which way was the slip lying?—lt was lying from us. 2918. The Chairman.] Then you drove along that ?—Yes, about If chains. 2919. Was there any coal showing ?—There was no coal showing there, and we turned off on the level in the direction of the dip again. There the measures were rising above vs —that is to say, dipping towards the east—and it was in that part of the channel that a bore over 140 ft. was put down. 2920. The results obtained were not, then, satisfactory?— No. The only way will be to bore from the surface, in my opinion. 2921. Do you know what cover there is to the surface at that point?—l do not think there is more than 100 ft. of cover there to the top of the hill at this point [indicating on plan], 2922. In clearing up the Taylorville fault, would you also recommend bormg should be done from the surface ?—Yes; it w 7 ould be advisable to prove the whole of that field by boring—or, rather, to prospect it. 2923. From the knowledge you at present have of the area covered by the Grey Valley Company's present leases, what prospect of coal do you consider there is for the future if these faults are proved ? —I have an opinion that there will be a good yield of coal between the Taylorville fault and the great fault of the Brunner Mine, and we shall have a fairly good coal to the dip beyond the Brunner fault again between those two faults. In the Wallsend lease I consider the coal will be limited to the coal on the west side of the broken ground, where the slate comes in. 2924. Have you no opinion as to the coal extending on the east side of the slate-belt—that is to say, east of the Wallsend Mine ?—I think it will come in there— there will be coal there. And a joint report we have sent in to the company deals with the matter, and recommends boring the whole of the lease to the east of the slate-area,