0.—2.

52

No. 5 section: Development is progressing to the south in No. 5 seam. A dip has been driven a distance of 000 ft., and an upthrow fault was met running south-west. Levels are being driven to the south from this dip, and there .is every indication of a large area of good coal to be worked. The places going east in No. 5 seam met a large fault and are now stopped. A good deal of work was done to prove the extent of the fault, but without definite results. The workings to the north and east have therefore been stopped off. Castle Hill Mine.—The only section working during the year, and that only for a few months, was the No. 5 dip section on the north side of the main extension, where a few pillars were extracted. A good deal of repair work was done on the main haulage-road, including another 72 ft. of concrete arching, where it passes through, the 11 ft. seam, which effectually seals off the old workings in that seam. The air-shaft and all old workings connected with it were securely sealed off on the 28th June. The new inclined return airway being completed the air-shaft was no longer required. In June the two air-compressors were removed from their old site to another and more suitable one, and a third compressor from Orepuki was put up alongside the others. The mine was only coal-producing for three months during the winter season, and work is now confined to supervision and general upkeep. Benhar Mine. —A small section of pillars, on the south side, were extracted during the year. The main dip has been extended a distance of 50 yards, and two downthrow faults were met, of 3 ft. and. 7 ft. respectively. Many clay backs are showing at the face of the dip. One of the levels on the north side is in over 15 chains. A stone band came in about 3 ft. from the floor and has thickened to 4 ft. Puk&rau Mine.—No coal was produced during the year. Whiterig Mine.—Owing to the haulage difficulties experienced through the main drive not having been driven on the full dip, another drive will soon be commenced, going north-west. The output of from 70 to 80 tons per week is still being maintained. Green's Mine.—The main haulage-road was only extended a few yards during the year, and all the output was produced from the south side of the main dip. One of the south levels is now in 8 chains in good lignite 20 ft. in thickness, on which 12 ft. is being worked. Riverview Pit. —A small opencast pit worked for private use. Springfield Pit.—A small output was produced early in the year from this opencast pit. Glenlee Mine.—Three levels have been driven into a strip of ground between two sets of opencast workings. Ramsay's Pit.—Recently they have stripped the few feet of overburden from the standing pillars, so this is now an opencast pit. Rossvale Mine. —The old workings are exhausted, and the owner was recently putting in a small drive through the large "slip" to work a supposed block of coal which a "diviner" claimed to be ahead. The drive was only timbered for about 25 yards, so he was instructed to timber the drive right to the face. Shortly after this the lease was surrendered. Melver's Pit. —A small patch of lignite is being worked opencast. The wash overlying the coal contains a little gold, so it is being put through boxes. Landslip Pit.—An occasional ton or two of lignite is being mined. The stripping [is about 15 ft. in thickness, and the seam is only a thin one. Argyle Pit.—The south end of the face has rather heavy stripping, and a large portion of the face was covered by a slip which, owing to lack of water, could not then be sluiced away. There appears to be about a couple of years opencast work yet in sight. Terrace Mine, Kingston Grossing.—The output from this small mine showed a considerable decrease, being 317 tons less than the amount produced during 1923. Princhester Greek Pit.—A small opencast pit worked for local supplies. Lynwood Pit.—An opencast pit; output used by the Tourist Department for the steamer plying on Lake Te Anau ; seam 6 ft. with 7 ft. of overburden. Mataura Colliery.—North of the main dip four of the levels were further advanced about 3 chains, and the required -cut-th roughs were driven. Owing to lack of trade the mine was closed in November. Boghead Pit. —Most of the output was produced from opencast working. One of the old standing pillars was split to release some water which when drained away would permit further opencast work. Mataura Lignite-mine.—No work has been done to extend the main dip for two years, development being confined to the places east and west off the bottom, of the dip. Those on the east side are almost at the boundary of the freehold. The lower west levels are in 4 chains. Pillars are now being made 15 yards by 11 yards. Sounding-rods have been procured for the high working-places. The manager was instructed to replace the cloth-brattice stoppings near the fan-drive with more substantial ones of stone. Ota Creek Pit.-—An opencast pit from which 423 tops were mined for the year. The seam is 5 ft. to 6ft.. in thickness, overlain by gravels varying from 2 ft. to 15 ft. Clarke's (Wyndham) Pit.—About 2to 3 acres have been worked at this opencast pit. There is about 13 ft. of lignite, overlain by 6 ft. of gravel and 2 ft. of mixed clay and sand. Diamond Lignite Pit. —An opencast pit from which 1,351 tons were produced for the year. Wattle Mike (formerly Nightcaps No. 1 Mine). —The results of the circular prospecting-shaft proving disappointing it was stopped and efforts confined to work in the little dip section. This dip for a time was driven through coal containing many clay backs, and also a band of stone 4 in. in thickness. At the face of the dip the coal is now fairly clean, and a level, broken away on the west side, is now in over 2 chains and showing 8 ft. of clean coal, the bottom 6 ft. of which are being worked. A place on the west side was stopped when in 12 yards owing to meeting a large clay " back." Some of the clay later fell away, proved the " back "to be only a foot in thickness, and exposed good coal ahead. The miners are discussing hiring plant to prove whether or not another seam underlies the one at present being worked. Black Diamond Mine.—The seam is 40 ft. in thickness, and the manager is considering working another set of places immediately over the present ones. The pillars are now being made 16 yards square, and a modified panel system has been adopted. New Brighton Mine. —The main haulage-road has been advanced 7 chains beyond the upthrow fault, but since September no work has been done there. The face of the dip is now 23 chains from the surface. The levels on the west side, near the bottom of the dip, met a large " roll " when about 30 to 40 yards in. One of these levels has been continued through the troubled ground and is now in good clean coal. On the east side in the higher levels a large fault, apparently a downthrow, was met. After some months it was decided to prove this fault, and after driving sor 6 yards the coal was again met, and is flow 4 ft. to 5 ft. in thickness. In the lower levels on the east side the pillars have been split. A lease of the Wairio-Moretown Railway is being arranged, thus avoiding the construction of a long surface tramway to connect with the Wairio-Ohai Railway. Ftiiling this arrangement it was stated that it would be unprofitable to continue working the mine. The management will soon have to decide whether to install a larger haulage plant or put down a new dip drive from the surface to the unworked coal south of the present workings. Early in the year an ignition of fire-damp occurred, and a miner was slightly burned. As a consequence safetylamps had to be installed. Numerous reports of inflammable gas have since been recorded by the examining deputy Wairio Mine. —'The few remaining pillars in the old section were exhausted by September, and a new section was opened near the top of the hill. Five level drives were put in from the outcrop. Near the outcrop the lower 2 ft. is splint, but at the face of one of the levels, in 3 chains from the entrance, the coal is 4 ft. thick and fairly clean. 1 anticipate the seam to again thin as driving proceeds and that very little coal will be produced from these workings. Mossbank Mine (No. 2). —Coal-mining in this mine was confined to pillar-extraction, and, as the available area is now very restricted, within a few months the mine will be exhausted.