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13. Have you any particular contract with him to take it?— Not that I am aware of. 14. You consign it to him ? —Yes. 15. And he pays freight ?—Yes. 16. Do you know what the haulage rate is from here to Auckland ? —Yes, 6s. 6d. a ton. 17. And to the Thames?— Between 7s. and Bs., I think, but I cannot say from knowledge. 18. How many levels have you from this down-shaft of yours ?—There are three levels. 19. And you work the coal to a height or depth of what ?—2O ft. 20. The rest of the coal you have to leave in situ ? —Yes. 21. Have you any difficulty with the ventilation?—l have a little difficulty at present during the time of the alterations. I anticipate a little more until we get our fan erected. We have enlarged the air-shaft from 5 ft. square to 8 ft. 6 in. diameter, lined from bottom to top on brickwork, fitted with buntoms for steam-pipes. We are erecting al5 ft. Waddell fan, which is due on the 15th of this month. Everything will be ready by the time it arrives to put it into position, and I hope to have the ventilation three times better than it is at present —40,000 cubic feet per minute. We are expending in money nearly £2,000 on this mine alone. 22. In your improvements are you making any better provision for the return air ?—Yes. 23. As well as that, are you making any provision for a return travelling-way ?—Yes. 24. Are you doing this in consequence of representations made by the Inspector or simply on your own motion ?—From my own idea and from the necessities of the mine. At the same time I know that representations had been made by the Inspectors to my predecessors. 25. You are not working any part of the seam by means of separate bords one above the other?— No. 26. You are simply taking out your 20 ft. and leaving the balance ?—Yes. 27. Keeping 9 ft. of coal above you ?—Yes. Boreholes are put up every 5 yards. 28. Now take the Taupiri Extended Mine : you are also manager of that ?—Yes. 29. What have you to say about the Taupiri Extended ?—What we would call the water-free coal has all been worked up to the present time, and now we have to go to the dip to win out fresh coal, and we are seizing the slack time during summer to drive these dips and cut through for the coming winter. 30. What about the ventilation of the mine?—We have had it on a good system. It is straight in from the dip, and there is a good return. 31. Are there two shafts there?— Yes. 32. Do you expect to get a number of men to work there shortly ?—ln another three months 1 expect to be able to place perhaps thirty men there. 33. Now take the Taupiri Reserve Mine : what can you tell us about that ?—The mine is entered by a dip adit. The seam dips at an average rate of lin 7. It dips under the land for a certain portion of the way until sufficient cover is obtained to enter under the lake in safety. As soon as that is obtained the dip drive is continued in a direction towards the centre of the lake. At stated distances levels are turned away from this dip and bords worked to the rise off these levels. 34. How many men have you got there ?—About thirty underground. 35. What about the ventilation there?— Ventilation i 3 taken direct to the face by the shortest possible route. 36. Can you not do something to improve it ?—We are not going to do anything at present— i.e., in the way of erecting any mechanical means of ventilation. Ido not consider the air deficient. The mine was examined during the worst period of the day, just as the men were knocking off work, and all the steam from men and horses, the smoke from their lamps, and the accumulation of powder-smoke was most felt. In addition to this it was a very hot day, and the outside atmosphere at a high temperature. 37. What about means of escape in event of accident?— There are two ways out of the mine. 38. Two known ways to the men ?—Yes ; to men who have been there for any time. 39. Is it not a fact that some men may work for months in a mine and not know the run of it at all?— Not in these small mines. 40. Who is the secretary of your company ? —Mr. Franz Scherff, of Fort Street, Auckland. 41. Mr. Lomas.] You said you proposed having two returns in Ralph's Mine : are they to be one on each side of the main dip ?—I am not aware that I said that we intended to have two returns, but at the same time we do, as a matter of fact. The air will enter on two sides of the upcast. 42. Will the two returns run parallel with the dip ?—No; one will run away from the dip altogether. It will be from the level of the shaft. The air will split at the top of the dip. 43. At Taupiri Reserve do you think the steam from the pipes and pump sufficient to ventilate that mine ? —Yes ;if we extend the dip further down I should like to test it first. We had two splits of the air at one time, but we found it more advantageous to have only the one split. 44. Mr. Proud.] When do you expect to have that place holed to enable you to have the air split at the face ?—ln three weeks or a month. 45. And how long will it be before you get the fan erected ?—lt will be about the same time. 46. Two return airways are very much recommended at Home, are they not ?—Yes, in large collieries. 47. Is there no danger of the small coal left in the mine becoming oxidized at all? —We do not consider there is danger from the small quantity which is left in the mine. 48. Would it not be well if you put up a jigger-screen here so that you could manufacture different kinds of coal?—lt is all a question of pounds, shillings, and pence. We are putting B—C. 4.