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of the old workings but had not damaged the coal below. Thirty-five thousand tons of excellent bottom coal was recovered. The rock overburden,' through the urgency of heat, had disintegrated, rendering comparatively easy its removal by bulldozers. There are other areas formerly worked underground extending along the eastern escarpment of the Fly Creek Old Mine from which it is hoped to recover at least 500,000 tons of high-grade coal by opencast method. Extensive repairs were effected on the power lines, loco road, substations, and tunnels and power plant. Locomotive inclines and bins were maintained in good working-order. One hundred and ninety-eight men were employed on the surface and 169 underground. Paine Bros. Mine, Butter Gorge (N. B. Paine (Under-viewer), Mine-manager).—Production was maintained by opencast methods by removing pillars formed by underground mining. Ten men were employed opencasting. Rahui Mine (Butter Goal Mining Co.), Butter Gorge (J. H. Chandler (Deputy), Mine-manager).— Pillar-extraction was continued by hydraulic means in coal averaging 10 ft. in thickness. One man was employed on the surface and 2 men underground. Heaphy's Opencast Mine, Butter Gorge (L. Heaphy (Permit), Mine-manager).—Output was won solely by opencasting. The coal is of good quality and ranges up to 25 ft. in thickness with very little overburden. This country is heavily bushed. Four men were employed opencasting. Nelson District Owen Colliery (Owen Collieries, Ltd.), Owen River (C. Taylor (CJnderviewer), Mine-manager). — The output was won from development work and pillar-extraction. Two main levels were driven in a westerly direction with the seam maintaining its thickness of 1 ft. 6 in. bottom coal, 1 ft. dirt, and 1 ft. top coal. Two inclines were advancing in a northerly direction from the main levels to reach the outcrop. It is expected this will bring about an improvement in the ventilation. One man was employed on the surface and 9 men underground. Six-mile Mine (J. Gillespie), Murchison (T. Hill (Permit), Mine-manager). —The output was won from pillar-extraction, with 3 men working the vertical seam of irregular thickness. Coal was friable but of good quality. Strathmore Mine (J. S. Dickson and W. S. Closs), Glengarry, Murchison (J. S. Dickson (Permit), Mine-manager).—The output is maintained from a 4 ft. seam of good-quality coal. Two men were employed underground. Murchison Collieries (Downie Bros.), Murchison (L. B. Hawthorn (Deputy), Mine-manager).— This mine was newly opened and is operating in a vertical seam which is a continuation of the seam worked by the Six-mile Colliery. The seam varies in thickness from a few inches to 12 ft. of goodquality coal. The seam is being developed by levels and connecting rises. A propeller-blade type of fan was installed, which was successfully ventilating the mine. Three men were employed underground. Westhaven Mine (G. and A. H. Wynn), Mangaralcau, Collingivood (A. H. Wynn (Deputy), Mine-manager).—The output was won solely from development work on the right and left of the crosscut dip. On the right side a downthrow fault was met about 2 chains from the crosscut dip. This seam is 2 ft. bottom coal with 14 in. stone and 3 ft. top coal. Two men were employed on the surface and five men underground. Whararilci Mine (D. R. and H. 11. Trewavas), Puponga. —No coal was produced during the year. Fatal Accidents Two fatal accidents occurred during the year : On 10th January, 1948, Keith Cochrane, electrical apprentice, Blackball State Colliery, was killed instantaneously when he was electrocuted in the course of his duty of overhauling Dunn's Dip No. 2 State winch. On 21st April, 1948, Thomas Wright Alexander Blyth, trucker, Liverpool State Mine, was struck by a runaway truck down the crosscut jig in Kimbell West Section. He received serious injuries to a- kg, which bled freely, and he died in the Grey River Hospital that night. Serious Non-fatal Accidents Seventeen workmen were seriously injured during the year : On 7th January, 1948, Edward Davies, trucker, Stockton State Colliery, sustained a first-degree fracture of left fibula and iternal mallaolus when he was pinned by a full truck on the rib side of a jig. On 30th January, 1948, A. Williamson, rope-road worker, Liverpool State Colliery, sustained a broken fibula when he was attempting to place the rope back on roller of endless rope, main haulage from mine. On sth February, 1948, W. McGinty, trucker and horse-driver, Denniston State Colliery, sustained a slight fracture of the vertebras when timber was pulled out when the horse he was driving turned. On 11th February, 1948, I. Gilmour, rope-road worker, Denniston State Colliery, sustained a fractured right wrist. He was engaged in pushing a box away from the weighbridge when another came behind him and crushed his arm between the boxes.

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