C.—2.

38

In the West Coast District the output of bituminous coal increased by 51,091 tons, while the outputs of brown coal and. lignite decreased by 6,384 tons and 59 tons respectively, the net increase of output for the district being 44,648 tons. In the Southern District there was a decrease of 2,061 tons in the output of brown coal and a decrease of 6,933 tons in the output of lignite, the total reduction of output for the district for the year being 8,994 tons. The mines now in operation were able to produce much more coal than there was a market for, with the result that most of the mines were working short time through inability to dispose of the output. This was particularly the case in the mines in the Huntly District and in the Southern District, where the demand for coal is seasonal. The position as regards the mines near Huntly is likely to become worse through the opening-up of new mines and the replacement of steam plants in the Auckland Province by electric plants driven by hydro-electricity from Arapuni. The West Coast mines are feeling the effect of the increasing use of oil fuel on overseas vessels coming to New Zealand and the consequent reduction in the amount of coal required for bunkering. A considerable amount of mining by co-operative parties is being carried on in the West Coast and Northern Districts. These parties work areas which in most cases could not be worked profitably by companies, and in some instances are extracting pillars left in and abandoned as unworkable by companies which formerly held the areas as part of larger holdings. One marked feature of mining by co-operative parties is the output per man employed compared with the results obtained in the large mines owned by companies ; in many cases the former is at least double the average of the latter. The production from and the number of persons employed at the collieries of the Dominion are shown in the following table : —

SECTION II.—PERSONS EMPLOYED.

Total rtu+nii+ Total Output to Number of Name of Colliery. Locality. Class of Coal. i ooa 31st December. Persons 1928. ordinarily i employed. ! Northern District. Tons. Tons. Hikurangi .. .. .. Hikurangi .. Sub-bituminous 98,554 339,762 205 Wilson's .. .. .. „ .. „ 61,345 420,887 182 Rotowaro .. .. .. Huntly .. Brown .. 150,100 1,204,418 279 Pukemiro .. .. .. „ .. „ .. 154,315 1,602,717 280 Waipa .. .. .. .. „ .. „ .. 63,772 981.837 127 GlenAfton .. .. .. Glen Afton .. „ .. 167,632 835,932 294 Renown .. .. .. Waikokowai .. ,, .. 26,555 26,555 88 West Coast District. Westport-Stockton .. .. Ngakawau .. Bituminous .. 152,884 2,490,726 294 Millerton .. .. .. Millerton „ ,. 167,340 7,700,300 462 Denniston .. .. .. Denniston .. ,, .. 228,558 9,585,550 513 Westportmain .. .. .. Westport .. „ .. 35,213 91,841 58 Cardiff Bridge .. .. .. Seddonville .. „ .. 25,783 139,918 28 Paparoa .. .. .. Roa .. Semi-bituminous 23,395 604,409 22 Blackball .. .. .. Blackball .. Sub-bituminous 119,358 3,721,506 292 Liverpool (State) .. .. Rewanui .. Bituminous .. 130,881 1,893,804 346 James (State) .. .. .. Rapahoe .. Sub-bituminous 39,877 185,545 83 Dobson.. .. .. .. Dobson .. Bituminous .. 97,524 188,691 264 Southern District. Shag Point .. .. .. Shag Point .. Brown .. 28,258 249,870 86 Kaitangata and Castlehill (3 collieries) Kaitangata .. „ .. 85,160 4,601.170 259 Taratu .. .. . .. „ .. Lignite .. 21,860 680,002 40 Linton (2 collieries) .. .. Nightcaps .. Brown .. 103,459 499,305 157 Wairaki (2 collieries) .. .. „ .. „ .. 34,790 274,1.17 65 Mossbank (2 collieries; .. .. „ .. „ .. 43,862 214,242 65 142 other collieries .. .. All coalfields .. Various .. 376,278 7,148,029 887 Collieries abandoned or suspended, &c. Various .. „ .. .. 23,081,702 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 2,436,753 68,762,835 5,376

Average Number of Persons employed during 1928. Inspection District. Above Ground. Below Ground. Total. t . Southern .. .. .. .. 244 682 926 West Coast .. .. .. .. 716 2,128 2,844 Northern .. .. •• .. 406 1,200 1,606 Totals, 1928 .. .. 1,366 4,010 | 5,376 Totals, 1927 .. .. 1,386 3,988 j 5,374