PROFITABLE YEAR

Hokitika Guardian, 3 August 1931, Page 5

PROFITABLE YEAR

GOVERNMENT coal mines. The State Coal Alines Department's accounts presented to Parliament show that the undertaking as a whole re turned a profit of £7995 for the year, notwithstanding losses of £4618 on Liverpool Colliery and £2145 on the Mac donald Colliery, which is now leased am will, it is anticipated, pay a profit i*future from royalties. There were net profits of £242 from James Colliery, £2106 from the- Christchurch depot* and £Bl from Wellington depot. The Department was paid £4581 in royalties. The output from Liverpool mine wa p 133,193 tons, a reduction of 10,317 tons on the year, this being due to a reduction in the number of working days, and also to fewer hewers being employed. At James mine the working hours were larger, hut the number of hewers were less. Their daily earnings averaged' £1 6s 7d, and the gross output of 42,061 tous showed a reduction of 1573 tons. Liverpool miners’ net daily earnings were £1 9s 4d, and the number of hours lost, including those due to sickness and not working on hack Saturdays, was 6095. Satisfactory exploratory work has been done in connection with the Liv erpool mine on the outcrops overlook j ing Ten Mile Creek, but in order tc fully prove the area it will he necessan i to put down bore-holes, and this wor!is to he carried out. The coal in t-lie j area should, the report states, be a first--class house cogl..