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Early in the year a little prospecting was done at the face of the dip. A little coal was found rising steeply as though approaching a large downthrow fault. A good deal of inflammable gas was given off in this place, which fell in later after work was stopped there. A borehole was then put down from the surface about 15 chains south-west of the face of the dip. Trouble was experienced in drilling, and the hole had to be cased. It was stopped at 603 ft., no workable coal having been pierced. Then four boreholes were put down on the flat near the Morley Stream and north-west of the mine-entrance. The first of these (No. 2 bole) went through two small seams near the surface and was stopped at 180 ft. down. These two seams, were also pierced in No. 3 hole. No. 4 hole met 9 ft. of coal at 33 ft. from the surface, and No. 5 hole passed through two seams, 5 ft. and 6 ft. respectively. It is intended to put another deep hole down a few chains due south of the face of the dip. Sale is now being found for all the slack produced. Ohai Coal Co.'s Mine.— The solid workings were completed early in the year, so the output has chiefly been from the small area of pillars. These will all be extracted within twelve months. Almost due north of the crosscut and about 3| chains from the large downthrow fault met there a borehole is being put down from the surface. It is now down 420 ft., but the thick seam proved by the Linton boreholes must still be below the bottom of this hole. Black Lion Mine. —In the east side places in the main workings the coal thinned to about 1 ft. and in the west places the coal became very soft and unsaleable. A prospect tunnel was driven in the hill to the west and about 10 chains from the main workings. This drive proved 7 ft. of clean coal, which appeared to be the seam worked in the main seam section of the Linton Mine. About 17 chains north of the main workings a dip section was recently opened. This is 3 chains north-east of Clapps' old opencast pit. This dip section is called " Ross's drive," and is dipping at a grade of lin 3. The coal is fairly hard and about 9 ft. in thickness, but it is full of dirty clay backs, so does not sell very readily. A few short boreholes were put down near the Morley Stream. These proved two seams, the upper from 5 ft. to 6 ft. thick and the lower one from 7 ft. to 10 ft. thick. A small shaft was sunk to prove the value of the lower seam. When down 30 ft. they could not cope with the inflow of water, so below the shaft they bored into alO ft. seam. They are now preparing to put down a dip to the north at a grade of 1 in 4 from the north bank of the Morley Stream. A fine electric haulage plant was purchased to haul the coal from the valley to the screening-pi ant at the railway-siding. The three-phase 50-cycle A.C.E.C. motor is rated at 55 brake horse-power. The screens, 20 ft. long with f in. mesh plates, will also be motor-driven. Morley Collieries Ltd.—No work has been done on this area during the year. The two drives were stopped owing to lack of funds when only a few feet in. Fatal Accidents. Linton No. 2 Mine. —On the 2nd October a miner named Anthony F. Francis, aged thirty-nine years, wandered into the return airway and into an overcast leading to a small panel of workings where the solid work had recently been completed. The overcast was full of firedamp, and Francis was suffocated by the gas, his body being found two hours later by a party of rescuers, two of which were also overcome by the gas, but quickly recovered. Medical evidence showed that Francis must have had a severe spasm of the glottis immediately after entering the body of gas. Kaitangata No. 2 Mine. —On the I.sth October, a miner named George White Hosking, aged thirty-eight years, was instantly killed by a large fall of stone which occurred in his pillar place. He and his mate were taking a narrow lift up a pillar, and the roof becoming drummy they were instructed to cease working there and commence on the pillar on the low side of the road. This they did, having taken out a width of 6 ft. when the fall occurred. The place was timbered by props, but they were all swung by the fall. The body was recovered two hours later, nearly every bone being broken. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. Jubilee Mine. —3rd February : John Kelly, miner—fracture of the pelvis caused by a fall of stone in a low pillar place. The prop which supported this stone prior to the fall had swung out. Linton Mine.—sth May : James Neylon, miner, was struck by a fall of coal from the roof, causing a compound fracture of the left ankle-joint and fracture of both bones of the left leg just below the knee. He was filling a tub when about 2 tons of top coal fell on to the coal already lying from a shot, and some of it struck him. Kaitangata No. 2 Mine.—7th June : James Green, miner—fracture of the left scapula. He and his mate had just commenced a new lift off a level. A prop had been put up to the roof, and a large lump of coal rolled or fell off the face, knocking out the prop, which in falling struck him on the shoulder. Kaitangata No. 2 Mine. —,19th August : Albert Rogers, miner—injury to back and fracture of the left leg caused by a fall of coal falling from the roof and knocking out a prop. Either the prop or some of the coal struck him. Kaitangata No. 2 Mine. —2nd September : Henry West, miner—injury to spine. Whilst trimming down tops he jumped back and fell backwards on to the top of a short prop which was sticking up above the loose coal. I Anton Mine. —20th September : Hugh McTague, miner, sustained a fractured clavicle and severe scalp wound by a fall of coal in his pillar place. Black Diamond Mine.—l6th October : George Tinker, company-manager, employed as a miner, received severe cuts on the head and chest by a fall of coal from the rib of the place in which he was picking up bottoms. Dangerous Occurrences notified under Regulation 94 (1). Linton Mine. —A new dip was driven west of the main seam workings, and crossing a fault shortly after it was broken away. When it was down H chains a place was driven to the south, and off this place a back heading was driven to the rise for a return airway. I nflammable gas accumulated in this back heading when it was up 42 ft. The two miners working there (Joseph Moffat and John Humphries) were instructed the previous day by the underviewer to use safety-lamps. Despite this Humphries carried a naked acetylene-lamp into the place, causing an ignition of the accumulated gas. Both men were severely burned about the face and arms, and later John Humphries was prosecuted by the mine-manager. He was convicted and fined £3 and costs. In compliance with section 95 (1) (b) of the Coal-mines Act, 1925, safety-lamps were then installed in the mine. Waronui Mine. —6th July : Smoke was discovered when cleaning out an old bord which was driven about twenty years ago in the No. 2 section of the No. 1 mine. The bord was full of loose coal and dross, which was being filled ft way. The place was stopped off. Kaitangata No. 1 Mine. —Bth July : Owing to indications of fire at 10.30 a.m. in the south side of No. 4a seam workings the men were withdrawn and the section effectively sealed off by 3 p.m. Wairaki No. 2 Mine.- —23rd September : In a place in the goaf on the west side near the bottom of the dip a large mil showed slight signs of heating. This was stopped off and the adjacent pillar-extraction hastened to permit the mine-water to rise and flood the area. Waronui Mine.—2nd October : Fire was discovered in an old heading being reopened in No. 2 section of No. 1 mine and about 200 ft. from where the previous heating occurred. It was of small extent, and was sealed off. Waronui Mine. —24th October : Another incipient fire was found in the old workings of the No. I mine, which were being reopened. This started in an old level which was standing full of dross. The heated coal was filled out. Prosecutions. On the 17th May a mine-manager prosecuted a miner for disobedience in carrying out instructions given for the safety of the mine. He was convicted and fined £3 and costs. On the 7th June a deputy, who was also the authorized shot-firer, was convicted and fined £1 and costs for deputing miners to fire a shot in their working-place. A further count against him was withdrawn.