C.—2

Boghead Mine, Mataura. —Development work has been continued to the dip and also along the levels north and south. The south levels are driven about 5 chains and the north levels chains, the extent of the south levels being influenced by the measures dipping in this direction and on the north side by the boundary. Tyrtui Mine, Gore. —Operations have been very limited; a small amount of development was done in a northerly direction and a connection made to the surface for ventilation. Glenlee Minc.—Several pillars were extracted to the west of the main level, and a small amount of development work carried out to the east. Greenvale Mine. —A small; amount of development work was carried out to the west. However, operations were suspended in August. Springfield, Mine, Gore. —A limited amount of work was carried out to the north on the opencast method. Hokonui Mine. —No active mining operations were carried out during the year. Ota Creek Pit. —Opencast mining was continued during the latter portion of the year, the pit being flooded for a time. 'Terrace Mine. —Underground mining ceased in November and opencast operations were resumed immediately afterwards. North Chatton Mine.—Operations were suspended in July. Baby Pit. —This is a new pit started at Croydon Bush, and opencast mining was carried out under normal conditions. Otama Valley Mine. —A limited amount of development was carried out to the dip and levels north and south. Owing to the isolated position of this mine, it is doubtful if much coal will be won therefrom. Lawrence's Pit. —Opencast mining was continued under difficult conditions ; however, a little gold was saved from the surface stripping. Northcote and Lahey.—Very little work was done here owing to the excessive thickness of surface cover. Argyle Pit. —Owing to diminishing demand for this lignite, very little work was done. The surface cover is becoming much thicker. Diamond Pit. —Opencast operations have been mostly continued to the south. A little lignite was won on the west side. Approximately 40 ft. of lignite is worked here. Star Mine. —The development of this mine has proved disappointing, the area having proved to be faulted at various points to such an extent that development work was practically abandoned early in the year, and a commencement made with pillar-extraction. A downthrow fault was met in the main dip heading, and, an attempt to prove this fault underground having failed, a borehole approximately 150 ft. deep was put down from the surface to the south of the fault with a nil result. Faulting was also encountered to the west at about 10 chains from the main dip, the bulk of the year's output having been won from this area from pillarextraction. Indications of heating were experienced in the pillars to the east and were effectively dealt with. Nightcaps Syndicate Mine. —All available coal was won and operations suspended in February. Lobbs Hill Mine. —Following upon several years of repeated disappointments in an effort to develop a mine here, at various points, operations were suspended in September. Morley Vale Mine. —Underground operations were commenced early in the year to develop this area. However, the result has only been to prove excessive faulting. The west dip heading encountered a series of faults after being driven -I chains. The levels north and south also faulted. The gradient of the seam—i.e., 1 i n 2—seems to indicate that this block of coal is a small area detached from the main measures. Surface boring operations have been commenced to the north of the mine. New Brighton Mine. —Several attempts to locate a workable area of coal having failed, a commencement was made early in the year to gain access to the rise pillars in the old mine, per medium of the old McKenzie drive. The work of clearing up this drive has been carried out to within one chain from the coal seam. Orepuki Pit. —A small amount of opencast mining was continued during the latter portion of the year. Birchwood Mine.—The bulk of the output has again been obtained from pillar-extraction in the east rise section. The conditions experienced with this work during the year have fortunately proved to be much safer than was the case previously, and a very limited amount of coal now remains to be extracted in this area. An almost negligible amount of development work was carried out during the year, this being due chiefly to the inability of the ventilation arrangements to cope with the emission of methane in the new dip section during the greater part of the year. However, a larger ventilating-fan has been installed and the work of enlarging the return airways completed during the latter portion of the year, thus enabling development work to be resumed. Development to the dip was carried on for a short distance, but from a point 7 chains along the lower west level. So far a good-quality coal, 20 ft. thick has been met, but insufficient work has yet been done to prove the area. Black Diamond Mine.—The output for the year has been won from the pillars in the north-east area. Owing to the extreme liability of this seam to heat during pillar-extraction, coupled with the great thickness of the seam —i.e., from 40 ft." to 50 ft. thick—and the intermittent working of the mine owing to diminished markets, it has been found preferable to conduct a system of splitting and robbing of pillars instead of attempting total extraction. It is unfortunate that it has been found necessary to adopt this practice. However, under the conditions prevailing there did not appear to be any alternative. Wairaki Mine. —Work has been conducted on a small scale during the year, and practically no development has taken place ; in fact, the demand was so diminished as to render development work unnecessary. Pillarextraction was completed in the No. 1 west section, and the area permanently sealed off. Pillar-extraction was continued in No. 2 west and No. 2 east under normal conditions. The No. 3 east level has been reconditioned, and future development will proceed in this area. Black Lion Mine. —Almost the whole of the output was again obtained from pillar-extraction. In the area lying to the dip of the main level —i.e., the sump section — pillar-extraction was completed and the area sealed off. The main level section pillars are now being extracted, the bulk of the output being obtained from this area. A prospecting drive was driven 9 chains in a westerly direction ■ — i.e., towards the Linton area — but although the coal measure is maintaining its total thickness, the actual clean coal has thinned in the last 2 chains to 1 ft. 6 in. in thickness. During the year a belt conveyor was installed to convey the coal from the tippler to the screening plant. Mossbank No. 1 Mine.—All operations continue to be confined to pillar-extraction, this work having been carried out back along the main east level and to the north of it, also in the west corner to the south of the main level. Extensive surface subsidence has taken place during the year, an embankment having been formed on the surface and around the workings which it is presumed will prevent flood - water finding its way underground. This, however, will depend on the extent of the rainfall. Mossbank No. 3 Mine. —Practically the whole of the pillars have been extracted from the section lying to the east of the main dip, and pillar-extraction has also been carried out to the south of the dip and in the west area adjacent to the Linton and Wairaki tram-lines. A small amount of development work was done in the south-west area, but with somewhat disappointing results, excessive stone intrusions occurring and the coal thinning. Conditions for pillar extraction are reasonably good, and a very satisfactory percentage of extraction is obtained. Linton No. 2 Mine. —The work of pillar-extraction has been continued throughout the year. Sections 6 and 7 have been worked out, and the output towards the end of the year was being obtained from sections 4 and 5 north. During the process of pillar-extraction, excessive weight has been thrown on to the lower places, this at times having been aggravated by working the higher places too close to the dip heading, and by premature splittings of the higher pillars, However, a liberal supply of timber was always used, and the work was carried

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