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and went home to the breakhead. The next morning the mine-manager said to me, " You might come out an hour or two earlier and see that place." John Moye, the other inspector, was with me. He had been on the back shift. 60. The Chairman.] Were you satisfied that things had been left in exactly the same state as when the fall occurred?— Yes ; I was quite satisfied there was nothing touched. 61. Mr. Lindop.] With regard to the sprags, if you had had one of those chocks in would you have been convicted ? —I could not say. 62. Mr. Cottrell] When you were coming out from your work did you meet anybody with a constable going in for this boy ? —No. The boy had been carried out of the mine. 63. When you had to go out of the mine en account of being ill, was it due to the ventilation or otherwise ?—lt was due to the want of ventilation through the powder-smoke and bad air. There was occasional cases where black damp was blown out of the bottom. 64. Mr. Lomas.] Where the coal came off the face was there a back ? —lt went in a V-shape and burst out. It came out in a wedge-shape, and the thickest part would be about the centre of it. 65. Do you know if this method of spragging with the chocks is common in the mine ?—Yes, amongst the machines. 66. Do you know whether there is more than one road in and one out ?—-There are six or seven different outlets. 67. Are they all used as rope-roads ?—No; there are roads out to the outcrops. You have to go along the main road to go out and go in. You have to travel a haulage-road or jig-line. 68. Do you ever remember the Inspector going into your place and asking you about the state of the ventilation ?—I remember the mine being bad on one occasion when Mr. Tennent came in. He said he would come back the next day and see if it was bad. That was in the top section. 69. Did you see the Inspector the next day ?—I cannot say whether he came back or not. I was somewhere else the next day. John Beown examined. 1. Mr. Cottrell] You are a filler in the Denniston Coal Company's employ?— Yes. 2. Have you experienced any bad air in the mine since you have been there ?—-Yes. 3. Has it affected you in any way ?—Yes ; it has knocked me unconscious. 4. When ?—About twelve months ago. 5. What happened ?—I was filling a box, and said to my mate that I felt as if I was going off to sleep. He said, " What is the matter? " I said that I did not know, and that I would go down to the air-course. I did not remember any more until I heard my mate singing out. When I came to, they were putting water over me and rubbing my hands. 6. Have you on other occasions felt the effect of bad air in the mine ?—Yes. Since that I have been sick, but not bad enough to go home. 7. Where abouts was this bad air?—ln the Cascade, in Bradley's section. 8. Mr. Harden.} On the occasion you fainted how long had you been in the mine that day?— About three-quarters of an hour. 9. Who was working with you ?—Harry Applegarth. 10. Were any others working with you in the same section ?—Yes; two on the opposite stenton. 11. Were you the only one overcome? —I was the only one rendered unconscious, but the others felt it. 12. When you came to, where did you go ?—Sladden took me home. 13. Did the others go back to work ?—Yes, as far as I know, they did. 14. Had they been doing any exploding ?—Yes. 15. How long before you went in ? —lt was not when I went in. 16. Was the powder-smoke still about ?—Yes. 17. Was the air all right in the main channel ?—lt was a bit foggy—not too good. 18. How long did you work in that section altogether ?—About twelve months, as near as I can guess. 19. Was the ventilation good, as a rule ? —No. 20. Did you make any complaints about it ?—Yes. 21. To whom ?—Mr. Dunn and Mr. Harris. 22. And was it improved or remedied?— They gave us compressed air to blow the smoke out. 23. When you left that section was it all right ?—lt was better when we finished up. 24. How do you find it at Ironbridge ? —lt is smoky some days. 25. It is necessarily so, I suppose ?—lt is always so more or less. 26. Is it unavoidable, that the air should be like that, to carry on the operations of the mine ? —Yes. They can help by putting up brattice. 27. Is it done?—No, not always. 28. Did you ever see the Inspector going through the mine ?—Yes. 29. Did you ever complain to him about the air ?—No. 30. Did you point out the fact to him ? —I never mentioned it to him. 31. Did you ever point out to him that the brattices were not put up?— No. 32. Did you ever hear any other miner do so ?—No. 33. Mr. Lindop.] You say you did not feel very well when you were taken ill, and you went out to the level?—l told my mate I felt as if I was going off to sleep, and I would go down there to see if it would make me any better. I did not remember anything more.