THE COLONY'S COAL MINES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8222, 28 August 1906, Page 3

THE COLONY'S COAL MINES.

The Inspecting Engineer of the Mines Department, in his annual report, wbluh was presented to Parliament on Wednesday last, covers the operations of his seotion of the department, the report inoluding the usual group of returns. The tables attached show that the colony's output of ooal for the year amounted to 1,585,75 C tons, an increpse of 47,918 | tons on the cutout of the previous \ year. The number of persons ordinarily employed at aJI the mines was 833 above ground and 2,436 low. Six persona met with fatal accidents, and 12 others were injured. The total number of mines returned as being at work during the year is 177, of which 28 employ more than 20 persons, and therefore require to bt. under the supervision and control of a manager holding a first-class certificate. Mines employing over six but not exceeding 20 persons number 26, and for their management the holders of seoond-olass certificates may be engaged. For mines at which not more than six persons are employed, a suitable man, holding a permit from the inspector of Mines for the district, can act as manager. These small mines are very numerous in the southern district, where numerous deposits of lignite exist from which supplies are drawn for the golddrndging and other industries, as well as for general domestio requirements. Many lignite-pits being worked open oast by quarrying, the number of men employed at such is included in that of persons employed above ground. The approximate quantity of coal, etc., raised from the several mines throughout the jolony up to Deoember 31st, 1905, is returned at 21,701,419 tons.