C.—2

18

The following is a table showing the number of quarries under the Stone-quarries Act, also the number of persons ordinarily employed thereat, and the annual output and value of crude stone during 192f>: —

There were 271 more men employed than during the previous year, and the value of the stone produced was greater by £52,408. Quarry Accidents. The following is a summary of serious accidents during 1926 at quarries under the Stone-quarries Act:—

Of the fatal accidents the following is a short description:— Kawahere Matn, a workman employed on the Arapuni diversion tunnel, died 011 the 25th February from the results of an electric shock received from coming in contact with the neutral wire used in connection with the lighting of the tunnel. The neutral was of uninsulated wire, and had broken a short distance back from where deceased was working. The voltage was 230 volts. Robert Henry Thompson, a workman employed at Waiorongomai quarry, was crushed between full trucks on the 21st June, and died shortly after the accident. He was engaged taking two trucks of stone from the quarry to the crusher, when he was overtaken by two other trucks, the brakes of which he had released but had afterwards omitted to put down again. Samuel Thomas Silcock, foreman at Paeroa quarry, was struck by a fall of stone on the 31st August, and died in hospital on the same day. An examination after the accident showed that the stone had slipped from between two greasy heads, the presence of which could not have been noticed prior to the accident. VII. STATE AID TO MINING. (1) Subsidized Prospecting. Upon subsidized prospecting operations 155 persons were intermittently employed during the year. The following is a statement showing the results of prospecting operations as reported by the Inspectors of Mines,

| J2 s -d Output of Stone. || |I !! 3 g I S ! 3 f 8 .2 O O aj 1 S M PmvinniftT Name and Address of § § $3 -g a j a> ® ® © off £ District Government Inspector of -g g gl;SI §° : «| ' § » Stone-quarries. .2 B g|S £ • 2,-a °l a is.- il !i jrl si s|- -l I ! d3o So 2 2 cj fee a § & ota) g 2 ion II |.gg |i= ia in if""! ? A A on xn i_} j w J5j j ►> Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. £ Auckland .. James "Newton, Mines 161 999 524,790 80,700 51,400 26,163 252,215 .. .. 222,260 Dept., Auckland M. Paul, Mines Dept., 26 206 132,666 15,571 906 .. .. .. .. 57,771 W a i h i (Hauraki Mining District only) Hawke's Bay James Newton, Mines 18 118 16,170 7,824 .. .. 16,368 .. .. 12,839 Dept., Auckland Taranaki .. Ditto .. .. 16 73 31,496 11,669 .. .. .. .. .. 12,991 Wellington „ .. .. 29 j 212 111,816 14,270 .. 9,469 .. .. .. 52,760 Canterbury J. F. Downey, Mines 14 106 94,503 1,224 5,661 2,530 .. .. .. 35,695 Dept., Reefton .. Nelson 1 Westland Ditto .. .. 12 157 5,310 19,068 260 2,257 36,838 .. 10,584 15,425 Marlborough J Otago \ A. Whitley, Mines 37 372 154,633 6,073 14,691 81.762 51,597 .. .. 106,334 Southland f Dept., Dunedin Totals 1926 .. 313 2,243 1,071,393162,399 72,918 122,181 357,018 .. 10,584 516,075 Totals 1925 .. 289 1,972 958,122 52,249 26,623 134,689 305,482 .. 5,645 463,667

Number of Accidents. Number of Sufferers. n I Cause. ; Fatal. | Serious-. I Killed. j Electricity .. .. .. .. ,. .. ] ' .. 1 Explosives . . . . . . .. . , . . .. 1 .. 1 Falls of ground .. . . . . . . . . .. 1 3 1 3 Haulage .. . . . . .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 Miscellaneous .. . . .. .. . . . . .. 4 .. 4 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 3 8 3 8