The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, SEPT, 12th,1927. MINES STATEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, SEPT, 12th,1927. MINES STATEMENT.

Tm-: Mines .Statement, which was table,l in tin- House of Hcprcsentalives !iv t|k* ilon (I. .J. Anderson, slated (inter alia): ‘‘There were 2.183.29, tons of coat produced during 192-1, as against 1,909.1)1 toils during the previous year, an increase o! lit),lb 3 toils. This increase was wholly of high-class bituminous coals, of which the output was 119.1)97 tons greater than in 192 D. There were small decreases. 21 .D-Ilt tolls and 11. .">9l tons, in the outputs of brown and lignite coal*. During the year the coal mines in tiie Dominion have been free from any serious industrial trouble. and ample supplies of toal have been available for all the requirements of the country. Many of the mines arc finding difficulty in marketing their outlints; on this account ami as (>7-1,-18!! tons of coal were imported from abroad, mostly from Australia, a board has Ih-cii appointed to investigate and report as to how far imported coals can he replaced by New Zealand coals on the (iovernment railways. My attention has from time to time lieen called liv ,ny staff to serious losses o| (onl as the result ol bad methods which were tnllowed years ago when the mines were being opened out. The number ol fires which have occurred in coal mines has been rather alarming. and steps were taken last year to obtain I’arliamentary authority to require the owners of coal mines to take suitable steps in future so as to more' effectively control, fibres which may arise from time to time. There is still, however, a necessity for strengthening the existing law so as to ensure that coal mines shall bo worked bv such methods as to enable more effective mems to be taken to enable a very much larger

quantity of coal to he extracted in future than lias been the case in some of the mines in the past Suitable provisions will he drafted, and I hoj>o to he able to introduce same during this session of Parliament, in order that they may he considered dur intt the recces ami passed into law next session. With a view to the utilisation of much of the slack from our collieries for which at present there is no profitable market, an experimental briquet ting-press was purchased and installed at the Dominion Laboratory early in 192-1. A series of preliminary tests showed that New Zealand brown coals cannot lie briquetted without a hinder, but that the lignites and possibly some of the bituminous coals can lie so briquetted. A large amount of work has been carried out on the brown coals to determine the most suitable binder or combination of binders, and the best conditions of working—pressure, temperature. etc. Very promising results have been obtained, but it will be necessary to continue the investigations for some time longer until the liest conditions for manufacture have lieen determined. When that stage is readied it is intended to commence systematic -tests on the briquetting of bituminous coals, and finally on lignites. Tn order to expedite the work Mr W. 11. A. Tenseler, B.St-.. (1.8.. was ap-

pointed in December l;i-st to carry out the investigation under the direction of the Dominion analyst. At the present time the most satisfactory means for preventing explosions in coalmines is the use ot ,stone-dust tor underground roadways. In order to acquire reliable information as to the relative inflammability of New Zealand coals and the amount of stone-dust-ing required to render the mines safe from the danger- ot coal-dust explosions. arrangements were made with the British .Mines Department in 1023 to carry out a series of tests or. representative New Zealand coals at the

Sskmonls Experimental .Station. Seven ample.s of 111 tons each were sent, and vere tested timing last year. Ihe rclort is now to hand, and with other lata which is being obtained will he •nnsidered with a view, if necessary. :o amending the present law in order to provide greater security against •oal-dust explosions."