0.—2

80

The following statement shows the tons of coal and shale raised, persons employed lives lost &c from 1878 to 1912:— * ' ' "

SECTION IV.—GENEEAL REMARKS. Mining Operations. At the Hikurangi Colliery operations have been chiefly confined to pillar-extraction from the No. 3 section underlying the Waro limestone rocks. As the coal-areas owned by this company are fragmentary and of limited extent, boring is being resorted to for the purpose of prospecting the mine to the dip of the present workings. There has been a decrease in the annual output during°l9l2 At the old mine of the Northern Coal Company, near Hikurangi, there has been a slight increase in output, but this mmc is rapidly approaching exhaustion, a considerable proportion of the remaining pillars being much depreciated by thin stone bands. As a result of boring operations to the north of Hikurangi Township towards the hill, it is reported that a coal-seam averaging 10 ft. in thickness has been proved over 200 acres. The company are now engaged laying down a small colliery to work the newly proved area from, a dip haulage-road now being driven from a point adjacent to the Waro limestone rocks. An upcast air-shaft, 195 ft. in depth, has been sunk to the coal-seam, at which a Waddel fan has been installed. This mine is being connected to the Government railway by a branch line of about half a mile m length. The Kiripaka Mine, also the property of this company, and formerly a considerable coal-producer, was worked out and closed during the year. The Taupiri Coal-mines (Limited) have connected by main haulage-road their Taupiri West and Ralph's sections, and have considerably developed the Rotoiti section. A main haulage-heading is now being driven under Lake Wahi. At this company's Extended Mine considerable inxprovements have been effected by the alteration of the gradients of haulage-roads. For better

Year. Output of Mineral. Persons employed. Above, i Below. Total. Tons of Mineral m , _ raised per as ° Persons each Per Mineral emplojed son em- r T a .f *, P f T P ?, C T^ ployed Un- Llfe loat - Llte l08t - derground. Lives lost per Thousand Persons employed. Number of Deaths. Prior 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 709,931 162,218 231,218 299,923 337,262 378,272 421,764 480,831 511,063 534,353 558,620 613,895 586,445 637,397 668,794 673,315 691,548 719,546 726,654 792,851 840,713 907,033 975,234 1,093,990 1,239,686 1,365,040 1,420,229 1,537,838 1,585,756 1,729,536 1,831,009 l,860,vt75 1,911,247 2,197,362 2,066,073 2,177,615 147 . 361 393 338 392 388 414 466 512 416 485 590 506 525 590 531 556 554 617 688 803 717 763 833 1,174 1,143 992 1,159 1,136 1,365 1,130 366 888 890 1,145 1,213 1,111 1,275 1,251 1,334 1,277 1,196 1,298 1,393 1,274 1,347 1,381 1,447 1,599 1,843 2,066 2,082 2,135 2,525 2,436 2,518 2,767 2,902 3,032 3,463 2,925 3,198 513 802 1,038 963 1,043 1,249 1,283 1,483 1,605 1,499 1,689 1,717 1,846 1,693 1,681 1,888 1,899 1,799 1,937 1,912 2,003 2,153 2,460 2,754 2,885 2,852 3,288 3,269 3,692 3,910 3,894 4,191 4,599 4,290 4,328 443 475 540 456 440 503 481 468 477 523 563 533 516 618 588 609 627 609 593 600 655 665 609 651 687 662 641 633 634 706 681 4,771 115,609 149,961 337,262 189,136 210,882 160,277 170,354 139,655 153,474 146,611 79,674 167 ,198 673,315 138,309 119,924 145,331 12,013 210,178 907,033 325,078 273,497 413,228 682,520 355,057 384,459 264,293 288,256 152,584 372,195 273,035 137,335 147,577 241,975 15 401 519 963 521 624 421 494 375 422 313 231 423 1,681 377 316 360 29 478 2,003 717 615 918 1,443 713 822 546 615 326 778 599 283 306 355 66-27 2-49 1-92 104 1-91 1-60 234 2-01 2-66 2-36 2-37 4-33 2-36 066 264 3-16 333 34-07 2-09 0-49 1-39 1-62 1-09 0-69 1-40 1-21 1-83 1-62 3-07 1-28 1-79 3-55 3-26 2-08 34+ 2 rj 1 2 2 3 3 0 4 4 4 8 4 1 5 6 5 66 J 4 1 3 4 . 3 2 4 4 6 6 12 5 7 16 14 9 Totals... 35,475,236 256 * No life lost. t Year of Kaita: igata exploi don. I Year of Brnnner explosion.