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Ca—3A

Springfield Coal-pit, Waikaha Valla/ (Mutch and Melntyre, lessees ; E. Charles, mine-manager). — (21/10/09): Opencast working discontinued meantime, and underground driving is being conducted on a small scale. Scam, 15 ft. New loading-bank completed and small steam-pump installed for drainage purposes. Willowbank Coal-pit, Waikaha Valley (William Jones, permit, owner).—(2l/10/09) : That part of the mine affected by the " crush : ' in July last is standing jusl as it was after the fall had settled, and does not affect the working-parts of the mine. Dip drive being extended having a small fan, driven off the pump steam-pipe column, for ventilation, and powder-smoke slowly dispersed thereby. Approved magazine for storage of explosives, and proper powder-canisters provided. Rules posted ; reportbook and plan kept. Seam, 15 ft., of which 10 ft. being worked. McDonald's (''Mil-pit, Waikaka Valley (A. A. Edge, lessee ; W. Mclvor, permit, and G. Mitchell, sublessees). —(22/11/09): School Commissioners' lease. Seam, 16 ft., 12 ft. worked. Dip drive and level being extended to eastward in coal of average quality. Ventilation fair, and rendered regular owing to plumps to surface in worked ground. Powder-magazine approved, and rules regarding explosive (compressed blasting-powder) observed. Pit drained by siphon. Report-book kept; plan to recent date ; rules posted. Anderson's Coal-pit, Wendon (.lames Anderson, owner; Samuel Yeomans, lessee). —(14/6/09): Rules posted. No one about. The mine evidently temporarily closed as usual during winter months, local requirements having been supplied during the autumn. The drive is in 100 ft. to the vertical seam, on which levels are driven east and west. Drive fairly well secured with timber, and the coal workings are taken high, but apparently safe, mainly owing to the long spell of dry weather experienced. Landslip (Dal-minc, Landslip, Waiknia (William Kyle, permit, and lessee). —(24/11/09): School Commissioners' lease. Under the new owner withdrawal of pillars has been continued, and the mine is now practically exhausted. A new mine to southward is in sandstone through the fault, and the coal-seam being struck, the life of the colliery is expected to be renewed. Rules and regulations attended to. Waikaia Coal-mine, Landslip, Waikaia (Alexander Cain, permit, lessee). —(24/11/09) : School Commissioners' lease. New air-shaft enables south side workings to be fairly well ventilated, but pillar place in north side has not been receiving necessary attention in regard to air. The air-shaft also requires to be enlarged and timbered up for security. I instructed Cain in these matters ; also that report-book and plan of mine should be kept at the office at the mine, instead of at the dwelling at Waikaia where he resides. Cain promised to attend to these matters, and write arid let me know when they had been completed. Rossvale Coal-mine, Landslip, Waikaia (Bond Bros., lessees ; J. Bond, permit).—(24/11/0.)) : School Commissioners' lease. Rules posted ; report-book kept; plan and copy of the Act kept at the mine. Seam, 10 ft.. 8 ft. worked on the bord-and-pillar system. Hitherto development consisted of driving a water-free level, off which headings were taken to the rise until outcrop reached. Stentons having been put through at regular intervals, the area worked is standing on rectangular pillars. The band of stone at 3 ft. from the floor gradually made until coal from advanced places became unsaleable and forward work was stopped. Work now consists of extracting pillars to rise, commencing at furthest in and leaving the level and the place above intact for future requirements. For further development attention is being paid to dip working, for which pumping will be necessary. Compressed blastingpowder used, and taken in to workings in calico bag in small quantity, sufficient for the day's requirements, and served out by Bond, the owner and person in charge. 1 instructed Bond, and subsequently wrote him, to provide proper canisters for taking blasting-powder into the workings. Powder-magazine approved. Muddy Terrace Coal and Shah Pit, Waikaia (Knuckey and Junker, lessees ; J. McLelland, minemanager). —(24/11/09) : School Commissioners' lease. Rise workings are driven to outcrop and pillared homeward. Downthrow fault on south level, and main dip apparently cuts off the seam. Amount of throw not yet determined, but indications are not favourable, unless it be that the disturbance is merely a wash-out, which may be probable. The proprietors propose sinking prospectingshafts in summer time to further prove the ground. Rules posted and requirements of the Act attended to. Argyle Coal-pit, Upper Waikaia (C. Hutton, permit).—Opencast pit, seam 20 ft., being worked in benches. Stripping kept sluiced away well in advance of working-face and pit in a safe-working condition. Waimea < 'oal-pit, Kingston Crossing (J. Johnstone, permit, and W. Shore, lessees). —(16/6/09) : An opencast pit on A. Small's property. Work recently resumed, and some 400 tons output to date. A deep drain has been dug to unwater the old mine, which will be worked, and a practical miner placed in charge. Mataura Coal-mine, Mataura (Mataura Collieries (Limited); James A Yule, managing director; W. C. Johnson, permit, mine-manager). —(ll/12/09): Coal now produced by underground mining, and, as is usual in these mines devoid of mechanical means of ventilation, powder-smoke hangs in the working-places an undue length of time. Fan-ventilation is now said to lie receiving the attention of the owners. Coal requires to be taken narrow in working to avoid fraci ure of roof on account of the strata of water-bearing gravel overlying the coal-seam. Mr. James A. Yule, managing director, was prosecuted for failure to make returns of coal-output and payments to the Coal-miners' Relief Fund for quarter ending 3* >tli June. He pleaded "Guilty" through oversight, and the Magistrate imposed lines to the amount of tl. and costs, £1 :Ss. Mataura Lignite-pit, Mataura (Beattie, Coster, and Co. (Limited), owners; W. Cost.er. permit, mine-manager). —(11/12/09): Seam, 16 ft., stripping 8 ft. to 10 ft. of gravel. Opencast pit worked in the usual safe manner. Rules posted. Powder-magazine appro Ted.