C.—2

48

Charming Creek Mine. —The sawmill tramway leading from the mine to the railway has been reconstructed ; grades and curves have been reduced. Supplementary to this work, 103 chains of light railway has been constructed. A level stone-drive, 8 ft. by T-J- ft., 10 chains in length, has opened up a seam of hard coal 12 ft. thick. A small quantity of coal was won towards the end of the year. Westport-Cascade Mine.—Several small sections were opened up during the year. Small local rolls and faults made development work difficult. Sluicing the coal from the working-face to the flume was successfully carried out. Labour troubles have seriously handicapped development work and caused a reduction of output. Bennett's Mine. —This small mine ceased operations towards the end of the year. Rocklands Mine, Bullet Gorge.—Two men are employed. The coal is transported by lorry to Westport and Inangah.ua Junction. Whitecliffs Mine, Bidler Gorge.—Two men are employed. Very little work was done during the year. Grey District. Liverpool Stale Colliery.—At this colliery two mines, Nos. 1 and 2, are being worked. The bulk of the output is derived from No. 2 mine. Operations in the No. 1 mine are now confined to pillar extraction. In the No. 2 mine pillar-extraction has commenced in the Anderson seam in a panel adjacent to the main haulage-road. To the dip a small amount of solid working remains to be completed. Development work in the Kimbell and Morgan seams is on the semi-panel system. Towards the end of the year the coal in the main level, Kimbell east seam, split, and prospecting in the floor has given indications of coal below the level of the present workings. In the west the main level is approaching the Tararu fault-line. In several of the main inclines proceeding to the rise the coal thinned and split. Stone-dusting has been efficiently carried on, and samples are periodically taken and analysed at the mine office. The ventilation is maintained by a large Sirocco fan capable of producing 120,000 cubic feet of air per minute at a water-gauge of 3J in. James Mine.—Development work has been confined to the main heading, which holed on the banks of Cannell Creek, and. preparations are being made to develop an area in that locality. On the east side of the main heading a stone-drive has been started to cut the fault, with the object of opening up a section in the vicinity of Nos. 3 and 4 boreholes, where coal of a reasonable thickness has been proved to exist. The extraction of pillars from the west and dip sections was continued throughout the year. A complete change-over from steam to electric power has been made, the electricity being purchased from the Grey Electric-power Board. Dobson Mine.—The panel system is being continued successfully. All winning-piaces are being driven narrow, and wherever possible are kept 8 ft. in height. To the rise the main headings have been stopped on the boundary of the lease. The main dip headings proceeding south-west are temporarily stopped 27 chains from the main level. Three panels are being worked in the dip section. In the east section several rolls have been met, and development work has been suspended. Samples of the dust from the roadways, taken at intervals, have been tested in the mine laboratory, the results obtained proving satisfactory. The stone-dust is distributed throughout the mine by compressed air. Paparoa Mine.—During the year the directors of the company, finding the venture unprofitable, decided to suspend operations. The mine was subsequently leased to a tribute party of fifteen men ; this arrangement has resulted in considerable increase in output per man employed, and the mine in all probability will prove a paying concern. During the year the output was produced mainly from pillar-workings. Preparations are being made to open up No. 1 seam. An aerial tramway is being erected from a point near the top brake to the outcrop. It is estimated that 80,000 tons of coal exist to the rise. Blackball Mine.—The whole of the output was won from No. 9 dip section. In the No. 2 level off No. 9 dip operations were confined to the extraction of pillars, and in No. 3 level to the driving of the level headings and bords. Development work consisted of driving a level to the east from No. 9 dip near the mouth of No. 3 level west. No. 9 dip was extended 16 chains, and No. 4 level east and No. 4 level west broken away. All development work is proving the existence of coal of good thickness, the coal in No. 4 level east being 30 ft. in height. No. 2 dip, which has been flooded for the past thirteen years, has been partially pumped out. Pumping operations are to be continued until the water is removed sufficiently to allow of development work to be commenced. A large area of unworked coal is known to exist in this section. During the first eight months of the year the mine worked two shifts. At the beginning of September it was decided that one shift could supply all the demand for coal from the mine, and the services of a large number of men were dispensed with. Outbursts of black-damp are frequent, and make efficient ventilation of the working-places difficult. The main dip was stopped in order to allow the gas to drain off. The mine is damp ; more attention should be paid to stone-dusting of the working-faces. Wallsend Mine. —The work of installing the machinery and erecting the buildings is nearing completion. Briandale Colliery.—The coal-seams have been opened in three places. No. 1 drive is in a seam of coal 12 ft. thick, dipping steeply south-west. The main heading going north-west has reached a fault. The heading has been offset to follow the fault and is now rising steeply. No. 2 mine is 5 chains to the east of No. 1 mine. The main level after advancing 6 chains in a north-easterly direction struck thin coal. The headings driven westerly reached a fault and pillar-extraction was commenced. The main dip is still in good coal. The main level in No. 3 mine has been driven 3 chains, and inclines have broken off. Co-operative Mines, Grey District. Spark and Party's Mine.—The output was won partly from solid workings and partly from pillars to the rise of the main level. The seam is split in places by dirt bands. As the mine is owned by the workmen, more care than usual is taken in removing the dirt from the coal. Duggan and Party's Mine.—Coal-winning from the old mine has practically ceased. Towards the end of the year only one place was working, near the outcrop. It is proposed to drive in stone north-westerly to open up an area of 2 acres of coal, 3 ft. 6 in. thick, in the south-western portion of the lease. O'Brien and Party's Mine (Old Runanga Co-operative).—Operations consist of removing coal from an abandoned portion of No. 3 Extended State Mine. The area is faulted, and could only be profitably worked by a small party. Moody Creek Co-operative Party's Mine. —A few small pillars still remain to be extracted. Work on the new lease has been commenced. New Point Elizabeth Mine (Guy and Party).—During the year work to the rise ceased, and a stOne-drive was started to cross the fault in the main level. Baddeley and Party's Mine. —Work during the year was confined to removing pillars to the rise. Castle Point Mine (Co-operative).—The main level has been continued in a northerly direction. Inclines to the rise have reached the outcrop in several places. Armstrong and Party's Mine. —Work during the year has been confined to pillar-extraction. Hunter and Party'? Co-operative Mine.—Pillar-extraction was continued throughout the year. Preparations have been made to drive a dip on a south-easterly direction between two faults. Brae Head Mine (Boote and Party).—Work in the upper portion of the lease has been confined to pillarextraction. The driving of a stone-tunnel to cut the seam at a lower level has been persevered with. Manderson and Party's Mine.—All the available coal having been won, the plant is being removed. Scottvale Mine (Scott and Party).—This mine has remained idle during the year. Cox's Creek Mine.—Operations consist of driving the main headings. The seam is 3 ft. 6 in. thick. Schultze Creek Mine (Marshall and Party).—Workings to the rise have reached the northern boundary of the lease. The main level proceeding south-east has been stopped on a fault.