45

C.—2.

Glen Afton Colliery.—On the 26th June, 1924, Hugh Roberts, aged 16 years and employed as a tipper, sustained the loss of two fingers, due to his hand being caught and the fingers crushed between the rail and wheel of a railway-wagon. Roberts was off work seventy-five days. On the 6th October, 1924, Robert Fleming, aged 24 years, and employed as a trucker, sustained a fracture of the left radius and ulnus, due to his wrist being jammed whilst unloading timber. Fleming was incapacitated forty days. Waipa Colliery.—On the 20th June, 1924, Peter Crawford, miner, sustained serious injuries to both his eyes, due to being struck and burnt by a premature explosion of blasting-powder whilst engaged charging a shot-hole in his working-place. Crawford is still unable to resume work. Hikurangi Colliery.—On the 13th February, 1924, John Henderson, trucker, sustained a severe wound of his left leg, due to being struck with the buffer of a skip. Henderson was off work 100 days. iff] On the 17th May, 1924, Thomas Murray, fitter, sustained a severe left inguinal hernia, due to a fall caused by a spanner slipping whilst he was engaged tightening a big nut. Murray is still unable to resume work. Kerr and Wyatfs Mine.—Consequent to serious injury to his right eye, due to flying fragments of coal embedding therein on the 3rd August, 1923, William Crackett, miner, subsequently lost the total vision of his eye. He returned to work in Wilson's Colliery, but was later compelled to cease owing to sympathetic weakening of his left eye, and he is now almost totally blind. West Coast Inspection District (Mr. C. J. Strongman, Inspector). Coal-output. During 1924 the coal-output for the combined Grey, Reefton, Buller, and Nelson districts was 990,612 tons, being an increase of 141,583 tons over the previous year, made up as follows: Grey district, increase 54,395 tons; Reefton district, decrease 3,448 tons; Buller district, increase 88,790 tons; Nelson district, increase 1,846 tons. In the Reefton district the decrease was due to the closing-down of several small mines owing to slackness of trade. Number of Men employed. The total number of men employed during the year was 2,480, being an increase of eighty-five for the year. Grey District. STATE COAL-MINES (LIVERPOOL COLLIERIES). No. 1 Mine.—This mine includes the No. I and Morgan seams. During the year coal-winning has been confined entirely to pillar-extraction in both seams. The roof being tender and the pillars narrow, great care had to be exercised to avoid " creep." Fourteen pairs of colliers were employed in the top or No. 1 seam, and eighteen pairs in the Morgan seam. Ferguson's Dip and No. 2 Mine.—Work in Ferguson's dip has been confined to the splitting of pillars. The seam developed many dirty bands, and further winning from places had to be abandoned. The complete extraction of pillars is not practicable, as the escarpment is close to the No. 2 mine haulage-road. Only two pairs of colliers were employed. This mine will cease production early in 1925. No. 2 Mine.—During the year the stone headings in the No. 2 mine cut two workable coal-seams. The first or Anderson seam is 10 ft. thick ; the second or Kimbell seam is 16 ft. thick. A third seam, the Morgan seam, should be reached with another 5 chains of driving. The measures in the Kimbell seam when first struck were pitching about 26°, and the strata at the face of the stone heading is now about 20°. A few places have been driven in the Anderson seam. Driving proved the seam dipping in all directions, and mining operations have ceased until power is available to work the haulage-winch and pumping plant. The Kimbell seam though steeply inclined is free from stone and is of good quality. Levels are being driven east and west, and connections are being made for ventilation. Four pairs of colliers are employed on development-work, but this number will shortly be increased as the winning-places advance. The third or Morgan seam should be reached some time in March. A new lamp-cabin and bathhouse in concrete are under construction at the middle brake and will be completed early in 1925. A supply of electric safety-lamps has arrived, and these will shortly be issued to the miners. No. 3 and No. 3 Extended Mines.- —-Work in the No. 3 mine has been confined to the extraction of pillars. The endless-rope haulage has been dismantled and self-acting jigs installed. Six pairs of colliers were employed. No. 3 Extended Mine.—All winning-places in this mine have been stopped, stone bands and dirt in the coal having rendered further development unprofitable. The seam has thinned in many places to a height of 2 ft. 6 in. Work is now confined to pillar-extraction. All work in this mine is now being carried on under co-operative contract, the contractors performing all necessary repair work, &c., and delivering the coal to the storage-bin at a fixed price, the State-mine management retaining the supervision and direction of mining operations. James State Mine.—The main heading is now in a distance of 58 chains and is 6 chains distant from borehole No. 1 and 15 chains from the Nine-mile Creek. At the face a roll running nearly parallel with the drive has thinned the coal to 10 in. Power-drills of the Jack Hammer type are used to brush the floor. To the right of the main heading the roll has been crossed and the seam found to exist at the normal thickness. Development-work in the old dip has been stopped by an upthrow fault (estimated to be 200 ft.), and the workings are now being extended in the direction of No. 8 borehole, where 11 ft. of coal has been proved. A new dip has been started inbye 8 chains from the old dip. The floor is undulating, making the construction of haulage-roads difficult. At Kennedy Creek a place has reached the outcrop, thus shortening the length of the intake airway. The mine is not fully manned, only fourteen pairs of colliers being employed. Blackball Mine.—This mine has now practically recovered from the effects of the fire which stopped mining operations from November, 1922, until April, 1923. No. 9 dip having been unwatered and the timbering renewed, coal-winning operations have been resumed to the dip. The coal at the face is of a soft friable nature. Forty-three pairs of colliers are employed on two shifts. The major portion of the output is obtained from pillar-extraction on the No. 1 level. Owing to heating in an old bord in No. 10 bank stoppings were erected between Nos. 9 and 10 banks, sealing off the area. A rise at a grade of lin 1 from the bottom of No. 9 dip to the surface, a distance of 525 ft., has been commenced, primarily to provide another outlet for the miners in case of an outbreak of fire; it will also enable the electric cables to be brought over the surface and down the rise, thus removing the cables from the return airway. The main rope in the No. 9 dip has now been extended to the second level. Paparoa Colliery.—During the year all the coal won has been from pillar-extraction. Fourteen pairs of colliers were employed, twelve pairs on day shift and two pairs on back shift. At present a pair of colliers are picking up an old heading, 5 chains in length, in the bottom section on the right of the main haulage-road; this will open a fairly large area of solid workings, and in addition the new heading will provide another travelling-road from the mine. A fall occurred in the fan-drift on the 16th September, rendering the mine idle for a period of five days. It was impossible to repair the old drive, as the fall extended to the surface. A deviation was therefore made through stone and the fallen drive stopped off. The safety-lamp cabin situated at the middle brake was accidently destroyed by fire on the 15th December and seventy safety-lamps destroyed.