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Northern Go-operative Colliery (Tauranga Block Freehold).—The party has been engaged in working out the remaining pillars of stony coal of a bottom seam lying near the Marua Road boundary. The coal in the mine is now almost exhausted, and the pillars have been removed to the bottom of the dip. Pour miners are employed. This party has been working the area for sixteen years, so the miners will probably turn their attention to further prospecting on the area. Ruatangata Colliery.—Operations were confined to the extraction of previously abandoned pillars of coal remaining along the fringe of the northern outcrop. The bulk of the output is used in the kilns of the brickmaking plant established near the mine. New Kamo Coal-mine (Kamo Collieries, Ltd., Owners). —The dip drive through sandstone intersected the proved seam at 450 ft. A shaft 85 ft. deep was siink near the railway and connected to the heading advanced from the bottom of the stone _ dip. Inflammable gas was detected when the coal - seam was first cut, and safety lamps were subsequently introduced throughout the mine-workings. A fault, of deep displacement, of the coalseam was encountered at a point 1 chain eastward of the main heading. The fault converged on the main south heading, and the working-area in consequence is now limited to an area of inclined coal to the west of the main drive. The western area lies between the Old Kamo Mine workings, abandoned during the year 1893, and Harrison's Waro Mine workings, abandoned during the year 1930, and, as the plans of the former workings may not be correctly delineated, substantial barriers of solid coal should be -left between the old and new workings. Development has been slow, and only five places have been available for coal-production. The Rocks Area. Acker's Coal-mine (Sublease from Hikurangi Coal Co., Ltd.). —Eight men were employed in winning coal from the bottom seam, averaging 4 ft. in thickness. A post of fireclay, from 6 ft. to 8 ft. thick, occurs between the worked-out top seam and the bottom seam. Surface water is troublesome during heavy rainfalls, and the installed syphon is unable to cope with the water. An output of 18 tons per day is sold to the Hikurangi Coal Co., Ltd. Fearnley's Coal-mine (Rocks Area). —Operations were confined to the extraction of pillars in the bottom seam. The seam is almost exhausted in the drive being worked, and another drive, lower down the hill, is in course of driving to open out a fresh area of bottom seam. Fireclay is also being extracted from the mine. Eothwell's Coal-mine (Rooks Area). —Operations were conducted by Rothwell and party on an area of abandoned ground. An attempt was made to reach an area of thin bottom seam, 4 ft. in thickness, lying under a pillared working of the top seam. Subsequently the workings were abandoned owing to water trouble. Flannagan's Coal-mine (Rocks Area). —A small coal-mine was opened out on Flannagan's freehold on a small area of thin coal proved ahead by boring. The dip drive is being continued in anticipation of a thickening of the coal-seam. Laurie's Coal-mine (Rocks Area : McLeod's Freehold). —A party of four miners is engaged in opening out the bottom seam, 5 ft. thick, under the old workings of the top seam. Surface water is troublesome,' and pumping is required should the workings extend. Orr and Party (Rocks Area). —Two miners were engaged in uncovering the surface clay from shallow pillars of coal left by a former working. This work can only be carried out during the summer months when the clay is dry and tough. Coutt's Coal-mine.—The party was engaged in working thin areas of coal left by the Hikurangi Coal Co., Ltd. A drive was driven along a fringe of the outcrop of the northern boundary, and the pillars are being' extracted to the haulage road. New Kiripaka Coal-mine (Hart and Higgins, Owners). —A party of four miners recommenced working this small coal-mine situated on the Ngungaru Hill half a mile east of the'post-office and twelve miles from Whangarei. The seam being worked is 4 ft. thick, and was abandoned by the Northern Coal Co. when in occupation of the land twenty years ago. The available coal from the opening being worked is almost exhausted, and boring is in progress for the location of another area of workable coal. Whareora Coal-mine (Foot and Fox, Owners). —Operations are being conducted by four miners in a thin seam which contains three bands of stone from 6 in. to 8 in. thick. The stone affects the marketing of the coal. The output is carted to Whangarei by motor-lorries, a distance of seven miles. Hicks and Party (Perrett's Area). —Four miners were engaged in working out old pillars in shallow ground left by the Hikurangi Coal Co., Ltd. Prospecting along a fault revealed that the previous workings had not been carried right up to the fault, and the party should recover at least a thousand tons of coal from this area. Tumbull and Doel (Perrett's Area). —Miners were engaged in working out isolated blocks of pillar coal left by the Hikurangi Coal Co., Ltd. Two smalls drives have been driven into areas of apparently solid ground. Jones and Party (Tauranga Block). —A small output has been obtained from short drives in shallow coal left by previous operations. Parahaki Coal-mine.-A party of coal-miners have opened out a small coal-mine in the Parish of Parahaki, six miles east of Whangarei on the Whareora Road. Boring disclosed a seam of coal 4ft. Sin. thick, lying at a dip of lin 2. The party consists of experienced miners, and much wet and dirty work has been done in driving 50 ft. of the dip. The future prospects are not encouraging. Nikau Coal-mine.—A party of Hikurangi miners has opened out a small coal-mine in the Wliau "Valley three miles from Whangarei. The mine was formerly worked by the Whau Valley Coal Co. fifty years ago. The remaining pillars a.re being extracted by roadways driven from the outcrop. The seam is 4 ft. thick, and has a fairly strong roof. Avoca Coal-mine.—This coal-mine, situated eight miles east of Tangowahine, has been in operation for a period of six years. Many problems have been faced since the old dip was dewatered two years ago. The 30 ft. seam is highly inclined and lying almost vertical. Three short dips, slanting from the floor to the roof, have been driven in an endeavour to provide working-places. A fault was met in the dip at 90 ft. from the surface, and boreholes from the surface have so far failed to locate the seam through the fault. The output is transported to Dargaville and surrounding districts. Waikato District. Rotowaro Collieries (Taupiri Coal-mines, Ltd., Owners). —The workings of No. 1 Mine Section (top seam) have been advanced one mile and a half towards the eastern boundary. Strong coal roof prevails in the section, so systematic timbering is earned out only in the pillar workings and in isolated places near the outcrops. The average roof-cover is only 70 ft. of jointy fireclay, which falls readily when the pillars are extracted. The coalcutting machines have been temporarily withdrawn due to the inclination of the seam, which precludes the flitting of heavy machines up the steep jigs. No inflammable gas has been detected in No. 1 Mine Section foxfive years, but electric safety-lamps of the cap type are still in use throughout the mine as a precautionarymeasure of safety against the risks of fires and emissions of gas. In No. 3 Mine Section (bottom seam) the workings have been extended a considerable distance under and ahead of the workings of the top seam. The faces are mechanically cut by coal-cutting machines and a high daily output per miner is got in this section. Difficulties have been experienced in timbering the roof due to°a fretting action, which is confined to the coal near the roof. Fire-damp is occasionally detected and reported in main headings, and in every case its presence is due to the brattice being in disrepair. Requisite applications of stone-dust in treatment of the coal-dust were maintained close up to the faces. An average daily output of 850 tons is drawn from seventy working-faces, and a total of 260 men is engaged in the company's mines.

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