C.—2.

APPENDIX B.

REPORTS RELATING TO THE INSPECTION OF COAL-MINES.

The Inspecting Engineer and Chief Inspector of Coal-mines to the Under-Secretary of Mines. 111 ' , , ... Wellington, Ist June, 1935. 1 have the honour to present my annual report, together with statistical information, in regard to coal-mines of the Dominion for the year ended 31st December, 1934, in accordance with section 42 oi the Coal-mines Act, 1925. The report is divided into the following sections : — I. Output. 11. Persons employed. 111. Accidents. IV. Working of the Coal-mines Act-» Permitted Explosives ; {b) List of Mines at which Permitted Explosives are used ; (c) List of Mines required by Law to use Safetylamps ; (d) Dangerous Occurrences ; (e) Electricity at Collieries ; (/) Prosecutions V. Legislation affecting Coal-mining. Annexures— A. Summaiy of Annual Reports by Inspectors of Mines. B. Colliery Statistics.

SECTION I.—OUTPUT. The output of the several classes of coal mined in each inspection district is summarized as follows :—

The following is a table showing the annual production of coal and the quantity of coal imported since 1911: — J r

From New Zealand coal-mines the gross output of coal during 1934 was 2,060,315 tons This shows the substantial increase of 239,057 tons above the 1933 output, but the number of persons employed in or about the coal-mines increased by 92 only. From the Northern District mines the output increased by 180 ; 487 tons, but the low prices at which much of the Waikato coal was sold allowed only two of the coal-mining companies to show a profit on the year's work. The failure of the pumping-plant at the Hikurangi Mine to cope with the

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Output of Coal during 1934. Clas» of Coal. Tot f l Output I^T th ?? 1 T :Dlstrict West Coast District Southern District _ , . End onW (North Island). (South Island). (South Island). Totals. find 01 j * ■ i , , . ' Tons - Tons - i Tons - Tons. Tons Bituminous and sub-bitummous 94,938 736,764 I s«i 709 as iko'koo 712,475 45,191 j 34 6 ; 3 02 tUn'S Ll S mte •• '■ •• •• 1.484 | 123,161 124,645 4,898,057 Totals for 1934 .. 807,413 783,439 j 469,463 2,060,315 81,722,142~ Totals for 1933 .. j 626,926 783,385 j 410,947 1,821,258 79,661,827

Year. Coal produced. Coal imported. 1 j Year. Coal produced. Coalimported. imported. imported. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons t™» 1911 .. 2,066,073 188,068 2,254,141 1923 1,969,834 445 792 2 41<> fi9fi 1912 .. 2,177,615 364,359 2,541,974 1924 .. 2,083,207 2*757'690 1913 .. 1,888,005 468,940 2,356,945 1925 .. 2,114 995 572'573 2'687'568 1914 .. 2,275,614* 518,070 2,793 684* 1926 .. 2 239 999 483 918 I'SM? 1915 .. 2,208,624 353,471 2,562,095 1927 .. 2 366 740 378 090 2 744 8n 1916 .. 2,257,135 293,956 2,551,091 1928 2 436 753 247'sfil 9*rsia*MA. 1917 .. 2,068,419 291 597 2 360 016 gig " 2! 5.1'864 2^'656 Ifsitlt 1918 .. 2,034,250 255,332 2,289; 6 82 1930 " 157! 943 I'TOO'OS 1919 .. 1,847,848 391,434 2,239,282 1931 .. 2 157 756 179 060 233fi'81fi 1920 .. 1,843,705 476,343 2,320,048 1932 " 1842 022 103 531 lSttSS Inoo " 1>809,095 822,459 2,631,554 1933 .. 1,821!258 99272 l'920'630 1922 .. 1,857,819 501,478 2,359,297 1934 .. 2,060,315 2'l6l!030 * Includes 21 tons shale.