C.— 2

44

Huntly Brickworks (Huntly Brick and Fireclay Company, Limited). —Fireclay-supplies for the manufacture of building and fire-bricks were steadily maintained during the year from the opencast quarry and by endless-rope haulage to the kilns. The quarry is carefully worked, and all explosives are in charge of and fired by competent workmen. Kimihia Colliery.—The right to work this mine has been the subject of proceedings in the Supreme Court. The mine was formerly developed by Johnson and party, and operations were suspended at the instigation of the Auckland University College Council. The mine was subsequently reopened and worked by the Taupiri East co-operative party. The coal-seam is of an average thickness of 16 ft. with a 4 in. parting at 10 ft. from the floor, leaving a strong roof. The main heading has been advanced 4 chains in the coal-seam. Taupiri East Coal-mine.—A party of miners, working on co-operative principles, prospected an area of their lease on the Auckland University College Council endowment by boring to the rise of the Kimihia Lake (a portion of the coal-seam existing under the lake was formerly worked by the Taupiri Coal-mines, Limited). The operations proved an extensive field of workable coal, and a development heading in the coal-seam has been, advanced 5 chains. The output is carted four miles to the Huntly Railway-station. The mine is within easy reach of the Main Trunk Railway, and the party propose laying a surface tramway to connect with the railway at Kimihia Station. Bombay Colliery.—The co-operative party of miners who developed and worked this mine discontinued operations early in the year, as the thin seam (3 ft. in thickness) proved too faulty and stony for profitable mining. 300 tons of coal were mined and sold from this lease. Hunua Colliery.—A small output was produced by two miners from this mine. The seam is separated by an intrusive band of shale, which hindered the sale of clean coal from the 4 ft. coal-seam. Campbell Colliery, Whatawhata—During the year boring operations have been vigorously conducted on the property. Twenty holes have been put down, ranging in depth from 90ft. to 285 ft., coal being found in twelve holes, varying in thickness from 6 ft. to 14 ft. Mining operations continued intermittently, a limited amount of coal being carted owing to a prohibitive road-tax being imposed by the counties controlling the roads. Old Stockman Mine. —This coal-mine, situated on Chambers Bros.' estate, twenty miles up the Mokau River, continued to work spasmodically throughout the year and supply local requirements. The seam is 4 ft. in thickness with a strong, hard sandstone roof. The limited output is conveyed by motor-launches to Mokau. Greencastle Colliery. —A creep, due to the extraction of pillars in this mine, was responsible for the cessation of mining operations, but a new section has been opened out in the solid coal to the dip of the old workings. The seam averages 8 ft. in thickness, and a small output is produced for local requirements. Welfare. The re-establishment during the year of classes and lectures in connection with the local School of Mines was attributable to handsome donations from the Taupiri Coal-mines (Limited), Pukemiro Colleries (Limited), Waipa Railway and Collieries (Limited), and the Glen Afton Collieries, each of the companies granting £50 towards the welfare of the school. The Mines Department moiety on the sum donated enabled the local Council to engage a full-time Director. The educational facilities afforded to mining students at Huntly, Glen Masse y, and Pukemiro were properly appreciated, and ninety students were enrolled for the commencing lectures. These companies also prepared and constructed tennis-courts and football-grounds, conveniently situated to the mining townships, and these recreation areas are a great boon to local and visiting players. Prosecutions. On the 10th April, 1924, a shot-firer was convicted and fined £5 and costs for failing to see, prior to firing a shot in the mine, that all persons in the vicinity had taken proper shelter. On the 10th April, 1924, a deputy was convicted and fined £1 and costs for failing to use a locked safety-lamp when making the statutory inspections of the mine. On the 10th April, 1924, a mine-manager was convicted and fined £25 and costs for failing to see carried out the provisions of the Coal-mines Act relating to the statutory daily inspection of the mine. On the 10th April, 1924, a mine-manager was convicted and ordered to pay costs on a charge of failing to provide a back staJHor skips ascending a jig-incline. On the Ist December, 1924, a miner was proceeded against for (1) using threatening behaviour, and (2) abusive language, towards a shot-firer whilst such person was engaged in the execution of his duties, contrary to Regulation 69 of the Coal-mines Act and Special Rule 57 respectively. The defendant was convicted and fined £2 10s. on each of the two charges, and Court costs totalling £4 were also imposed. Dangerous Occurrences (Regulation 81). Rotowaro Colliery.—On the 20th June, 1924, Manager A. Penman reported an outbreak of fire in a solid pillar contiguous to No. 8 bord, No. 1 section of the mine. Taupiri Extended Colliery.—On the 26th July, 1924, Manager J. Makinson reported an unlocated outbreak of fire in the No. 5 north-west old workings. Waipa Colliery.—On the Ist September, 1924, Manager Thomas Thomson reported a serious underground fire in the vicinity of the mine stables. Pukemiro Colliery.—On the 12th November, 1924, Manager A. Burt reported a heating in the gob in Vickary's pillar place, north-east section, North Mine. Fatal Accidents. Rotowaro Colliery.—On the 13th February. 1924, William Maddison, aged 66 years, employed as a shiftman and trucker in the Rotowaro Colliery, sustained serious internal injuries through attempting to control a full runaway skip which had become uncontrollable due to the wheel breaking away from the anchor on a jig-heading. When the skip struck the rib at the bottom of the heading he was holding the corner of it and was carried over the top, colliding with the solid coal pillar on the level. Maddison succumbed to his injuries in the Waikato Hospital on the following day. Pukemiro Colliery.—On the 4th March, 1924, Ernest Gardner, aged 18 years, employed as a rope-road clipper in the Pukemiro Colliery, whilst taking an empty skip from the main endless-rope haulage-road into a branch road intercepted a race of three full skips on the main road, which forcibly collided with his empty skip, jamming him against the rib of the branch road. He sustained a fractured pelvis, and was taken to the Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, where he succumbed to his injuries nine months later. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. Rotowaro Colliery.—On the 14th April, 1924, Thomas Cooper, a roadsman employed in the Rotowaro Colliery, sustained a fractured collarbone and severe injuries to his knee, due to being struck by a fall of unsupported roof-coal which broke without warning in a bord where the floor was being lifted and where at the time of the accident longer props had not been substituted. Cooper was incapacitated eight weeks. On the 13th October, 1924, F. Wilkinson, surfaceman, sustained a severe wound (now septic) of his second finger of left hand, due to same being punctured by some rusted metal. Wilkinson is still unable to resume work. Pukemiro Colliery.—On the 9th January, 1924, Edward Hall, miner, sustained the loss of his right eye, due to being struck by a piece of flying coal which embedded therein. Hall was incapacitated 135 days. On the 11th January, 1924, J. Dowling, miner, was incapacitated 172 days with a ruptured teno-achilles muscles of his left leg, due to slipping and falling whilst trucking a skip.