C.—2

49

On the 3rd March a general labourer named John Kennedy, aged 65 years, employed at the Liverpool State Mine, Rewanui, was crushed between a full truck and an overhead tramway, and died shortly afterwards as a result of his injuries. On 12th March an elderly man named Thomas Riley, a rope-road attendant, was run over by a full truck on the Mine Creek rope-road, Millerton Mine, and died in the Westport Hospital the following day. Medical testimony attributed his death to cirrhosis of the liver combined with the shock of his injuries. On the 9th June a deputy named William Gilmour, 69 years of age, was killed by a fall of coal on the Mine Creek rope-road, Millerton Mine. Deceased was engaged trimming the roof and had succeeded in loosening a large piece of coal when he decided that it would be safer to work from the opposite side. He was passing underneath the loosened coal when it fell on him, killing him instantly. On the 23rd July Joseph Iligson received injuries from which he died four days later in the Greymouth Hospital. Deceased was engaged as a shiftman in the No. 3 mine, Liverpool Collieries. He had commenced to walk up a jig that was working when two trucks became detached from the rake and ran down the grade, striking deceased. On the sth September a collier named Albert Manderson was killed by a fall of stone in Manderson's Co-operative Mine at Dunollie. Deceased and his mate were engaged retimbering a level when a bump displaced several sets, thus allowing the roof to fall. Strenuous attempts at rescue had partially succeeded when a second fall occurred and deceased was slowly crushed to death. On the 25th September Moses Harry, a rope-road worker, 71 years of age, was run over and killed on the Denniston rope-road. It is surmised that deceased attempted to cross over the roads while the rope was in motion, and was knocked down and run over by a full truck. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. On the 21st February W. Morgan while jigging a truck in the Millerton Mine met with an accident resulting in a broken leg. On the 9th June Charles Thompson, a trucker, employed at the James Mine, State Collieries, slipped whilst pushing a truck, fell, and fractured his pelvis. On the 13th June C. Gillespie, a collier, employed in the Taipo section of the Ironbridge Mine, Denniston, received a fracture of the small bone of his leg. A piece of stone fell from the roof striking his leg. On the 12th August W. Heslop and his mate, P. McFadgen, both had their legs broken by a fall of roof-stone in the Hawkin's section of the Cascade Mine. On the 23rd July Edward McCaffrey, pump attendant, received a compound fracture of the right leg. McCaffrey was attempting to board a train on the Stockton electric locomotive road when he slipped, with the above result. On the 30th August Charles Dobson, a bushman, employed by the Reefton Coal Company, received a fracture of the right leg through a tree swinging and striking him. On the 13th September Henry Griffiths, a fitter, employed by the Westport Coal Company, fell a distance of 11 ft. 3 in., severely injuring his head. On the 18th September Samuel Short, a miner, employed in the North Cape Mine at Puponga, received a compound fracture of the right leg. A piece of stone fell from the hanging-wall, striking him on the leg. On the Ist December Isaac Malpas, a miner, employed in Hunter and Party's Co-operative Mine at Dunollie received a fractured pelvis and two broken ribs through a piece of stone falling from the roof and striking him. Prosecutions. On the 14th May two colliers employed in the Old Cardiff Mine were convicted and fined —(1) £3 and costs for failing to erect roof-supports in a systematic manner; (2) £5 and costs for taking into the workings explosives not in a securely covered case or canistei*. On the 14th May the owner of coal lease No. 5700 was fined £6 for failing to contribute to the Coal-miners' Relief Fund the sum of £2 Is. 2d., being the sum equivalent to -|d. per ton on all coal sold during the two preceding periods of three months. On the 9th July a collier in the safety-lamp portion of the Millerton Mine was fined £1 and costs for having in his possession cigarette-papers. On the 23rd October the following charges were laid against a deputy employed by the Reefton Coal Company : (1) That he did fail to inspect the mine with a locked safety-lamp two hours before commencement of work in the mine ; (2) That he did fail during his rounds to examine the roof and sides of such mine ; (3) That he did fail to mark with chalk the day of the month upon each working-face. All charges failed. On the 20th November the mine-manager of the Golden Point Mine, Soldiers' Road, Reefton, was fined £1 and costs for failing to inspect the mine with a locked safety-lamp before the men entered the mine ; and two men employed at the mine were each fined ss. and costs for proceeding towards their working-face before it had been intimated to them by the fireman-deputy that the mine had been examined. On the 18th December the mine-manager of the A 1 mine at Burke's Creek, Reefton, was fined £1 and costs for failing to inspect the mine with a locked safety-lamp before the men entered the mine ; and two workmen employed at the mine were each fined ss. and costs for proceeding towards their working-face before it had been intimated to them by the fireman-deputy that the mine had been examined. Southern Inspection District (Mr. George Ditggan, Inspector). Goal-output. The output of coal for the year, 455,070 tons, shows a. decrease of 31,870 tons to that of 1923. This decrease is not confined to any one portion of the district, Canterbury having suffered to the extent of 5,552 tons, Central Otago 1,719 tons, and North Otago 541 tons. The mines in the South Otago field are the principal sufferers, as 20,782 tons less than 1923 were produced there. Southland's output, which is 3,276 tons less than last year, would probably have shown an increase had not labour trouble occurred in the Obai Coalfield from July to September. On the 9th July the Birchwood, Linton, and Wairaki miners oeased work. They resumed on the 21st July, but the Birchwood men again stopped on the 29th and resumed on the 2nd August. On the 27th August the Linton Mine was again idle, the men resuming work on the 14th September. Mount Torlesse Mine.—On account of the very disturbed nature of the country the mine-workings became very restricted during the year, and in November only one place on the west side was being worked. The coal in this place was of fairly good quality and about 9 ft. in thickness. Safety-lamps continued to be used during the year. In Sittleton's heading, on the east side, 500 cubic feet of 4-per-cent. mixture was reported on the 16th June inflammable gas was reported on several other occasions during the early part of the year. Springfield Mine.—A few tons were won from the remaining coal near the surface. Homebush Mine.—A few pillars in the 7 ft. (main) seam are now being extracted, as the 3 ft. seam workings became exhausted. Bush Gully Mine.—Three miners continued extracting a few pillars from the upper seam. They also drove into the lower seam, 40 ft. below the upper, which shows 3 ft. of clean coal with 6 in. to 12 in. of stone above and then 12 in. of top coal. The party purchased a 1 J : t-on motor-truck, which was used to convey the coal to Coalgate Railway-station. They sold their interest to another party of working-miners towards the end of the year.

7—C. 2.