1.—6.

would attract capitalists to take them up ? —lt is a very difficult question to answer. I know some English capitalists were out here not very long ago, and came out here with the intention, possibly, of investing in coal-mines, and they did not invest one half-penny. 1522. Do you consider it necessary to subdivide air in mines so that- miners employed at or nearest to the end of the return air should be supplied with fresh air?—Yes, it is necessary. 1523. That is not done now?—l will not say it is done in every case. 1524. Is it done in the West Coast mines? —Well, it is the general custom. 1525. Is it done in all the West Coast mines? Will you state to the Committee where that is not clone ? —I think it is observed in all the mines. It is rather a difficult question to put for a technical man to answer. 1526. I will put it again. Do you consider it necessary to subdivide the air in mines so that miners employed at or nearest to the end of the return air should be supplied with fresh air? —I say yes, at once ; it is necessary. 1527. Do you consider it detrimental to the health of miners being compelled to breathe air which has traversed so many subdivisions in which men are employed?—Well, it all depends. 1528. The Chairman.] Is there sufficient air in all these mines ? —Yes; the air is very good. 1529. Mr. Guinness'.] How many men do you think should be employed in each of these subdivisions ?—lt is impossible to say. It would depend upon twenty questions—how much gas there is, whether the mine is deep, and so on. 1530. I will take the Wallsend Mine : how many men should be employed in each of these subdivisions?—lt depends upon the length of air. As to the course and quantity of the air entirely, it is very difficult to answer that. 1531. Have you ever had any complaints from any of the men in reference to the want of a proper supply of fresh air, or any complaints with regard to ventilation in the Wallsend Mine ?—At the time of the explosion, when we had a Royal Commission, three years ago, one man complained that he had not sufficient air :he said he wanted 30,000ft. a minute. It was evident nobody could have lived in the place with 30,000ft. of air. 1532. The- Chairman.] He would have been blown away?—Yes : about 3,000ft. or 4,000ft. is ample. The men have not complained ahout that mine. The Wallsend is very well ventilated. As to the Coal-pit Heath, that has not been well ventilated, for this reason : the air has been warmed by the presence of steam-pumps, which made it unpleasant; but the manager is overcoming that difficulty by moving his steam-pumps, and the air is getting better. 1533. Do you consider the present Coal-mines Act requires revision on the lines of the English Act, which compels division of the fresh air so as to reach each block of workings in its pure state ? —No ;I do not think so. I think our Act is pretty good. 1534. You know that in England they have passed an Act to that effect : do you not think our Legislature ought to follow in the same direction? —I do not say it would do any harm. Ido not think it is necessary, though, at present. 1535. You think the miners are sufficiently protected without that? —Yes. 1536. Mr. O'Conor.] How many times during the year do you generally visit the coal-mines on the West Coast? —I do not pay regular visits. I abstain from regular visits, so that the minemanagers may not bo prepared for me. I generally go, however, twice a year, though I have inspected the Brunner Mine twelve times in a year. 1537. During the year in which you inspected the Brunner Mine twelve times, did you live there the whole year?—No; I was there very frequently. 1538. Mr. Guinness.] I suppose, of these twelve inspections, you might make six in a week ?— No ; I sometimes spend a week in a place, and visit a mine several times, and I call that one mining inspection. 1539. Mr. Feldwick.] Mr. Fish has requested me to ask you several questions. What is your opinion as to the energy of the present mine-owners ?—They have shown an enormous amount of perseverance and pluck, and a considerable amount of skill and enterprise. 1540. Have they done all that could be reasonably expected of them ? —With regard to the mines, I think so. 1541. Considering the encouragement they get from the State ?—I do not know what encouragement they get from the State. 1542. I suppose the State provided railways and shipping-accommodation?—Going back to my original answer, I think the companies have shown a large amount of enterprise, skill, and perseverance in opening up their mines, under great difficulties in many cases. 1543. Are you aware they have had any difficulties owing to breaks in the seams ?—Yes; there are numerous breaks in the seams, especially at Westport. 1544. Mr. Hutchison.] These workings that have been made under the river are now in communication with the land on the other side. Is this land included in any lease from the Crown ? —I tell you, officially, I know nothing at all about leases. 1545. They are now working on land ou the other side of the river from Wallsend?—Yes. 1545a. You do not know, then, that that land, assuming it is freehold, was granted many years ago?—l know nothing personally or officially about it. 1546. The Chairman.] Was it granted during Mr. Rolleston's regime ? —I do not know. Mr. Hutchison : Perhaps you know, Mr. Chairman, what reservations there are in these grants implied or expressed ? The Chairman : None whatever. The only implied reservations are those which pertain to Crown grants generally ; nothing further. 1547. Mr. Guinness.] Could Mr. Binns furnish the Committee with an estimate as to the quantity of coal in the different mines?—l ha.ve not made it out. The geological department will be able to give vou that information. I produce a diagram showing statistics of accidents in various '6—L 6.

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