C.—2.

Bush Gully Mine. —Pillar-extraction in the old section was completed in February, and prospecting was then commenced half a mile farther west. A cutting, 2 chains long, was made in the hillside, and then a drive commenced to the south-west. After a while it was deflected to the south for a short distance and then again turned to the south-west. When about 3 chains in a good clean seam of coal 4 ft. thick was cut. At a higher level a crosscut has been driven, and this cut two higher coal-seams, 3 ft. and 3 ft. 9 in. thick, about a chain apart and a chain from the 4 ft. one. All are dipping to the south-east at an angle of about 45 degrees. A short surface jig is being made to the mouth of the crosscut. Klondyke Mine.—The lower seam proving rather dirty, a crosscut was driven to the south-east for 70 ft. and met a higher coal-seam at least 11 ft. thick. A level," going north-east, is now in 16 chains, mostly in good clean coal, but the face being now under a gully, the coal there is full of clay backs. The seam is dipping to the south-east at an angle of 75 degrees. If it improves beyond the gully two levels can then be worked to the rise of the main level. Steventon Valley Mine. —About 10 chains west of the former workings a new drive was put in to the south-west. Within a chain two seams, each about 2 ft. thick, were met, but were too thin and dirty to work. An old fallen-in place had to be crossed and close-lathed sets used. No work was then done for several months, but towards the end of the year a little repair work was done in the drive, but no coal produced. Lucknow Clay-mine.—Two levels are being driven to the west and are now in over 6 chains. From the upper level a rise was put up and connected to an old level near its entrance. This mine was purchased recently by the owners of the Glentunnel Potteries. Clearview Mine. —All the output was produced from pillar-extraction to the rise of the main adit. Mount Somers Coal Co.'s Mine. —The main level, going to the north, is in good hard coal at least 20 ft. thick. At the face, 7 chains in from the entrance, is a 6 in. band of hard stone about 3 ft. up from the floor of the drive while there is at least 6 ft. of coal underfoot. This level, being within 80 ft. of an old dip containing water, a borehole is drilled ahead of the face. Only 2 chains to the west the seam becomes dirty and unsaleable, but an incline 3 chains due east of the main level is in very good coal. An adit level is contemplated to avoid the hand-pumping now being done down the short dip. Burnwell Coal Lease—No coal is being produced, but about 5 tons of silica-sand are being mined weekly and sent to the glassworks at Ashburton. Blackburn Coal Co.'s Mine. —The railway was completed and formally opened in December. The coal will be lowered from the mine to the railway by a surface jig 27 chains long, the upper portion being at a grade of 1 in 2. Prom the head of this jig a level is being driven in the 11 ft. seam. Two hoppers will be used on the jig, the mine-tubs delivering into the hoppers and the hoppers emptied into the railway-wagons. At the head of the jig a double drum 4J ft. in diameter is controlled by post brakes, 4 in. wide, and two for each drum. About 10 chains farther north a level is being driven to the north-west in a lower seam, 5 ft. thick, of rather poor quality. The drive is now crosscutting the measures to the upper seam. Albury Mine!— During the first half of the year the output was obtained from the Woodbank lease, but since then the low level on the Albury lease was extended and then stopped when 2 chains from the old heated area. Near the face of the low level a place was driven to the east and, when a chain in, a rise was put up to the surface for ventilation and haulage purposes. A steam-winch is to be placed at the top of the rise and then a place will be driven to the south in line with the rise and to the full dip. Another level will then be (Jriven under the traffic road into the Woodbank lease, leaving a good barrier between the new and old workings. Only the bottom 6 ft. of lignite is being won. Above is a 8 in. band of stone which has to be taken down, while above the band is another 10 ft. of good lignite. Roseneath Mine —Owing to the fatal accident to the owner, Mrs. Matheson, on the 23rd January, 1930, the mine was closed and no further work has been done. Airedale Mine. —All production for the year came from the dip workings. The lower east levels are within 90 ft. of the eastern boundary and the inby dip is only a little more than 2 chains from the southern boundary. The output improved considerably in quality, and a ready sale is now being found for the slack. St. Andrews Mine. —The main level has not been extended during the year and the two inbye dips are also stopped. One, 3| chains down, reached an area of stony coal. Another dip has been started outby. Some of the clip pillars will soon be worked back. The inbye place going to the rise and commenced 1 chain back from the end of the main level is now up 3J chains. The coal, now only 6 ft. thick, is thinning, but hopes are entertained that it will again thicken. Off this rise two levels met outcrop coal when only 2 chains in. Pillars are being formed 30 ft. square. Al5 in. sirocco single-inlet fan, driven by a 1 h.p. motor, is being installed. About 60 chains of transmission-line had to be put up to connect to the power-lines. Ngapara Mine. —About 10 chains in from the mine entrance two places were driven to the south, rising at a grade of 1 in 4. They appear to be approaching the outcrop. The places are driven narrow and are being cut on one rib. Prospecting on the surface disclosed a stratum of fine clean sand suitable for plaster-work. Below the sand and above the lignite is a good thickness of clay suitable for earthenware pipes. If the clay warrants working the coal will be stripped and worked as opencast. Shag Point Coal-mining Co.'s Mine.—All available pillars in Hancock's and Perry's dip sections have been extracted. To the east off Perry's dip four miners are working coal 3 ft. thick with 15 in. of stone above up to a clean parting. In the small longwall section on the west side four miners are on coal now 2 ft. 3 in. thick. It is gradually thinning, so that section may soon be stopped. On the east side some places are being made ready for working pillars to the rise of the old water-level. Two short crosscuts have been driven out of the mam level to a small seam 17 ft. below the upper one. One of these crosscuts is near the head of Perry's dip and the other is 3| chains inby. Two levels have been driven to the west for 6 chains, the coal being of good quality but thin, varying from 2 ft. 8 in. to 3 ft. in thickness. Six miners are now employed in the lower seam-workings ; two in the south heading and four in places going to the west. Pour shiftmen are constantly employed in the return airways, and the arrangement for air-reversal near the ventilating-fan has been much improved recently. Shag Point Mine (Old). —The main dip has not been extended for some months and is now 500 ft. down. The north levels met a large downthrow fault only 30 yards in from the dip in the upper level and 3\ chains in the lower one. Development is solely to the south; the bottom south level has entered an area of dirty coal, but it is expected to improve soon with another chain of good coal ahead. All the slack is now being sent out of the mine and most of it is distributed on the clay road leading to the terminus of the Shag Point Coal-mining Co.'s railway. The slack beds into the clay and forms quite a serviceable road of what was formerly a quagmire in wet weather. The haulage winch is now driven by a 10 h.p. three-phase 400-volt Crompton-Parkinson slip-ring motor through a chain drive to an intermediate shaft, and then geared back 4 to 1. Bough Ridge Coalpit.—-A. few tons for home consumption are still being taken out of this small opencast pit. Idaburn Pit. —A considerable amount of stripping has been done at the north-east end of the pit, and there is a face of 18 ft. of lignite exposed, but the top 10 ft. is of very poor quality. Oturehua Pit. —To the east the stripping has been kept well ahead and there is a thickness of 14 ft. of lignite exposed, but only about 5 ft. of it near the floor is saleable. A dip has been driven to the north at a grade of 1 in 4. This dip is now down 100 ft., and is well supported by timber sets. Parfit's Pit. —From the north-west side of the pit a small supply has been won, but a large slip came down and almost filled the pit. A considerable amount of work must be done in removing the debris before any more lignite can be worked. Cambrian Pit. —Work has proceeded on the west side, but further stripping is required and the pipe-line shifted back before much more lignite can be won.

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