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Parfitt's"Pit. —Work was carried out intermittently during the first half of the year, and the lease was later allowed to lapse. Cambrian Pit. —Opencast mining was continued, but only very intermittently. A start was made to open up a block of coal to the south of the old pit, but the demand for this coal is also very limited. Coal Greek Flat. —Work has been continued at this pit in an efficient manner, a large area of coal now being exposed for winning when required. South Otago District. Freeman's Mine.—The output at this mine was again obtained from the extraction of old standing pillars. The main level pillars have now been extracted to within 3 chains of the mine-entrance, and very few pillars now remain to be won in this area. ■Jubilee Mine. —The dip heading, which was commenced to work the coal lying to the so.uth and east of the old No. 4 workings, has been driven a distance of 9J chains. The seam at the face of the dip is 9 ft. thick and of good-quality lignite. So far all higher places worked appear to be in more or less broken country and the results disappointing. Levels have been broken away from the bottom of the dip to prove the seam to the north-east. So far no large quantity of water has been met with, and all development places are being driven narrow. Hoclson's Mine. —Development of this mine to the dip showed the seam to thin and to become immediately overlain by water-logged fine sand, and further efforts to prove the extension of the seam were abandoned. All work is now confined to pillar-splitting, and probably 50 per cent, of the pillars will be won along these lines, the object being to prevent surface subsidence. Brightglow Mine. —A commencement has been made to open up a new mine half a mile to the south of the Jubilee Mine. A dip cross-measure drive has been driven 60 ft. and an electric haulage plant installed. No coal had been intercepted up to the end of the year. McColl's Mine. —A small amount only of development-work was carried out to the north-west, and a few pillars were stripped back adjacent to the fault or thinning which occurs here. Places are driven narrow and no shots are fired in the coal. Saddle Hill Mine. —A small quantity of clay was won opencast. Fiarfield Collieries. —Development has continued in the middle seam in a south and south-west direction. Up to date the work has been carried out in an unsystematic manner, insufficient regard having been paid to the ultimate handling of the coal. The floor of the seam is very soft in places, and trouble will be experienced with same heaving. The quantity of water to be handled is also increasing and will probably continue to do so. The economical working of this class of seam at this depth will be difficult: Willowbank Mine. —The main dip - headings have been driven a distance of approximately 16 chains and several levels driven to the north-east and south-west. So far the results have been disappointing as the seam is very irregular in quality and contour. The ground is heavy and the floor heaves and these factors, coupled with friable and flaky coal, make the economical working of the mine difficult. A crosscut dip-heading has been commenced to prove the area to the east of the main dip. East Taieri Mine.—Work has continued to be confined to driving through the old workings to an assumed field of coal beyond them. The results obtained have been slightly improved, but the ultimate objective is still "in the air." All roadways have stood better than expected. Burnweil Mine (Saddle Hill). —Attempts to locate an area of workable coal having failed, a start has been made to recover what few stumps of coal are available. New Fernhill Mine. —The extraction of pillars from the old mine was completed and the mine abandoned in May. The development of the new mine (being worked from the entrance to Freeman's old mine) has been carried out to the north, levels having been driven 7 chains in this direction. The seam was faulted to the rise. Very little coal will be available to the rise for some time. A ventilation fan was installed during the year. Essbank (Now Eskvale) Mine.—Development-work at this mine appears to have proven that the area being worked is a small isolated block. The main levels were continued on to inferior coal and a start will probably be made to extract the developed area. EUiotvale Mine.—The development of this mine has proceeded steadily. The main dip-headings have been driven south for a distance of approximately 500 ft. Main levels have also been driven east and west for 300 ft. The quality and thickness of the coal has been maintained and a steady market found for the output. All coal is transported to Milton by road, and this factor will limit the scope of operations. A ventilation fan has been installed, and the operations generally have been conducted along reasonable lines. Kai Point Mine. —Pillar-extraction was completed in the old mine and was followed by spontaneous combustion. In the new mine several levels have been driven to the north-east. However, the general conformation of the measure is irregular and the quality of coal variable. Moneymore Mine. —A small mine was commenced at the end of the Moneymore Road and about two miles from Elliotvale Mine. The deposit is a poor-quality lignite, and the project was soon abandoned. Karaki Mine (Kaitangata).—An attempt was made to mine coal from the outcrop adjacent to the beach. An old drive was opened for a distance of 80 ft., a few tons of coal were extracted, and operations were then suspended. Benhar Mine. —Development-work has extended to the dip and along the strike to the north and south respectively. Numerous stone intrusions have been met. During the year a system of forming panels has been adopted. Kaitangata No. 1 Mine. —No further work was carried out in this mine during the year other than the general keeping in repair of the mine and the completion of the new airway from the No. 2 section. Towards the end of the year it was decided to completely abandon the mine. All plant was withdrawn and the openings into the mine were permanently sealed off in December last. The reason given for the abandonment is that trouble was anticipated from the old heated areas, and it is also contended that the seam can, if desired, be reached and won from a more advantageous site. There may be room to doubt the economical fulfilment of that contention. Kaitangata No. 2 Mine. —The most important of the development work at this mine has been directed in a south and south-west direction. The main south dip-headings were extended to a total distance of 25 chains. Soft, inferior coal was met, and work in this direction was suspended. A pair of dip-headings has been driven south-west from the No. 1 west level for 18 chains, the quality of coal here being much better. Development to the west from the latter headings was carried out on to the fault-line, and pillaring work was continued in the higher or No. 1 west section ; when circumstances permit it is proposed to put in a stone-drive from the surface to intercept and work any coal lying to the west of this fault. This proposal is sound and will result in a more direct haulage route to this area. Pillaring was commenced in No. 2 east, when an upper seam of coal was exposed by a fall in the goaf. This seam was later located and is being developed. In No. 1 east, and from the inbye end of the level, two dip stone-drives intercepted the old No. 2 mine-workings. Development work carried out to the south here proved the coal too thin. Ventilation was restored in the old workings, and all recoverable coal will be won from that area. Pillar-extraction was continued in the main rise headings, and all goaf areas were promptly sealed off before actual fire took place. In the main north headings pillar-extraction was also continued. A fall of goaf in that section also exposed a higher seam and measurements taken showed this seam to thicken to the dip. This occurrence prompted the management to put in hand prospecting-work and, after driving through the west fault, a seam of good-quality coal was intercepted and is now being developed. The above-mentioned seam corresponds with the seam worked seventy years ago from the original Kaitangata workings, and it promises to be a valuable area of coal. The ventilation arrangements have proven adequate, development-work has been kept in hand, and operations generally have proceeded smoothly. Taralu Mine. —The extraction of available pillars to the rise of the main level has been completed and the area permanently sealed off. The main dip extension was not continued beyond the fault-line. In lieu of this work two headings were driven south-west from the bottom of the dip on to the fault-line and the fault was proven at this point.

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