C.— 2

48

Chester's Mine.—Three men have been employed continuously throughout the year. Ngakawau Mining Syndicate.—Very little work has been done on this property, as the party have been unable to dispose of the output. Westport-Granity Mining Syndicate.—This syndicate hold an area of approximately 90 acres on the western boundary of the Westport Coal Company's lease. A bin of 200-ton capacity has been erected one and a quarter miles south of the Granity Railway-station. Coal is conveyed from the mine to the bin by means of jigs, four in number. First jig, length 13 chains, grade 7° ; second, 22 chains, maximum grade 38°, deflection 30° ; third, 12 chains, maximum grade 38°, deflection 10° ; fourth, 18 chains, maximum grade 19°. The average thickness of coal has not yet been ascertained, but will probably be 30 ft. A considerable area will be worked opencast. The mine will produce coal early in January, 1925. Whitecliff Mine, Buller Gorge.—Very little work has been done in this mine during the year. Rocklands Mine, Buller Gorge.—No work of any consequence has been carried out in this mine during the past year. Inangahua District. Reefton Coal Company, Burke's Creek.—During the year the greater part of the output was produced from the old dip section. Preen's Jig : The pillars in this section are nearing exhaustion, and this section will shortly be closed. Anzac Section : This section has been let to a party of co-operative contractors ; four men were employed. Sherwood Mine (Morris and Learmonfs). -No new work has been done at this mine during the year. Calliope Mine.—Preparations have been made to construct an aerial tramway from the mine to a point near the Reefton Railway. A considerable amount of plant has arrived but is not yet installed. All mining operations are suspended. Phoenix and Venus Mine. —The output for the year was 1,975 tons which, was disposed of locally. Big River Mine ( Big River). —The main drive going north is in very loose ground. Crosscutting has proved the coal in a westerly direction. Going east the coal becomes thinfand dirty. As the coal-lies at a very steep angle the stoping method is used. Doraris Mine, Capleston.—This mine is at present closed. Ferndale-Timaru Coal Company, Burke's Creek.—Work on the No. 4 seam (Lockington's lease) has been practically suspended during the year, only 632 tons of coal being extracted. The No. 2 seam (Lishman's area) was opened up in October and a main heading extended 10 chains. Development to the rise in a south-easterly direction has been continued to within 1 chain of the Empire Coal Company's boundary. A fault running south-east has now been pierced, and coal of a fair quality proved, but this coal still contains stone intrusions. The main dip was stopped after being driven a distance of 3 chains. During the year the following plant has been installed : One gravity screen, one 35 in. steam-driven Sirocco fan. The mine has suffered considerably during the year through lack of trade. Mr. A. R. Ayson, general manager of the Ferndale-Timaru Coal Company, with a view to utilizing the slack coal, which is now being dumped, has for some time past been experimenting with a view to producing a household coke and oil on a commercial basis. With a small cast-iron retort, 5 J lb. capacity, a large number of tests were made, with the following results :—

The oil has been analysed and found to be of good quality. Further tests are being carried out with the object of improving the coke. Empire Mine. —This mine has closed down owing to financial difficulties. Woodlands Mine. —This mine has been temporarily closed owing to lack of trade. Nelson District. Puponga Mine.- —Development continues to the rise. In the B mine five colliers are engaged on pillar-extraction. The coal in this section is 7 ft. in height, but is split by a stone band 15 in. to 18 in. in thickness. This section will shortly be exhausted. In the C mine, lying to the west of B mine, the main level has been extended in a westerly direction as a prospecting level. The thickness of coal is 3 ft. 6 in., split by two stone bands each 4 J in. thick. The coal in the incline going south has been cut by a fault. Two stone headings driven through the fault intercepted a coal-seam 5 ft. in thickness, split by two stone bands 2 in and 1 in. respectively. North Gape Mine. —A new seam approximately one mile south-west from the old mine is being developed. This new seam dips irregularly from 75° to 80°, the thickness of coal being 6 ft. to 8 ft. The coal is of a soft friable nature. A dip on a gradient of 1 in 3J is being driven north-east. Levels 30 ft. apart have been extended 500 ft. in each direction. The stoping method is being used to win the coal. Golden Bay Mine.—The main level is being driven in a westerly direction. Very little development-work has been done during the year. Waikohatu Mine. —This mine has been closed during the greater portion of the year. O'Rourke's Mine, Murchison. —Only a few tons of coal were produced from the rise workings. Dangerous Occurrences, notified under Regulation 81. Blackball Mine.—On Wednesday, 7th May, signs of heating were noticed in an old bord in the No. 10 bank No. 3 dip of this mine, and the area was immediately sealed off. Regan and O'Brien's Mine.—On the 6th September a fire broke out in the old workings known as Regan and O'Brien's mine. As these workings were connected with those of Dove's mine, stoppings were immediately erected, and the fire sealed off. Later a line of pillars was extracted and the fire area thus completely blocked off. Cascade Mine, Denniston.—On the 20th October an old fire in the No. 8 section of the Cascade mine at Denniston broke through the stoppings. Additional stoppings were erected, and the fire again sealed off. New Tyneside Mine, Brunner.—During November water was noticed issuing from a break in the roof of the workings in the New Tyneside mine. The water had the smell common to water from old workings. As the mine is adjacent to the flooded area of the Old Tyneside Mine operations were suspended. Fatal Accidents. Seven fatalities occurred to workmen employed in or about the mines of the West Coast Inspection District during the year, and in addition two other persons not employed in mining lost their lives on the haulage-roads. A striking feature was the number of accidents on the haulage-roads whereby elderly men lost their lives. On the 10th January a young man named Treyton Potter, employed as brakesman on the Stockton locomotive road, lost his life through being crushed between the brake-car and the centre rail, There was no evidence to show how deceased was caught by the brake car,

Ooal £rom Slaok - Coke Produced. A^5a-water. Oz. Oz. Oz. No. 2 seam .. .. .. 311 172 82 No. 1 seam ...... 77 42 22 No. 4 seam .. .. . . 169 95 45 No. 4 seam . . .. . . 152 103 31