Coal-mines.

A.—sa.

ply with this section, or makes any return which is to his knowledge false in any particular, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act. 77. (1.) The owner of every coal-mine, whether situate on private lands or on Crown lands, in addition to the conditions for the payment of any royalty, shall contribute to a fund for the necessary 5 relief of coal-miners who may be injured whilst working in coalmines, and for the relief of the families of coal-miners who may be killed or injured whilst so working. (2.) For the purpose of such fund every such owner shall, in the months of January, April, July, and October in every year, pay a 10 sum equivalent to one halfpenny per ton on all coal, except brown coal and lignite, sold during the preceding three months respectively ending on the last day of the previous months of December, March, June, and September, and one farthing per ton on all brown coal and lignite sold during the same period, into the Post-Office 15 Savings-bank which is nearest to the said mine to the credit of an account called "The Sick and Accident Fund" in connection with the miners' association of the district where such mine is situated. (3.) In case there is no miners' association, the money shall 20 be paid into the Post-Office Savings-bank which is nearest to the said mine, to the credit of the Minister of Mines and the Public Trustee, in an account to be called " The Coal-miners' Relief Fund." (4.) All moneys so paid into the said Sick and Accident Fund shall be operated upon only by the persons appointed in that behalf by the 25 miners' association of the district, in accordance with regulations to be from time to time made by the Governor, and all moneys so paid into the said Coal-miners' Relief Fund shall be operated on only by the aforesaid Minister and Public Trustee jointly for the purposes of the said relief. 30 (5.) Any Inspector of Mines is hereby authorised and empowered, at any reasonable time, to examine from time to time the books of any owner of a coal-mine for the purpose of ascertaining the quantity and description of coal raised from such mine during any period or periods; and also to ascertain from the proper officer having control 35 of the Sick and Accident Fund of the miners' association of the district, and from the proper officer at any Post-Office Savings-bank as aforesaid, the amount paid to the credit of the Sick and Accident Fund or the Coal-miners' Relief Fund, as the case may be, by any owner of a coal-mine from time to time, and to compare the amounts 40 so paid by any such owner in respect of any quarter of a year with the quantity and description of coal sold during such quarter as appearing in the books of such mine. (6.) If on such comparison it appears that any such owner has not paid into the aforesaid Sick and Accident Fund or Coal-miners' 45 Relief Fund any amount as hereby prescribed, or only a part thereof, such owner shall be deemed guilty of an offence against this Act, and shall be liable to a penalty of two pounds sterling in respect of each and every pound sterling or fraction of a pound sterling which he should have but has not paid into the said Sick and Accident Fund 50 or Coal-miners' Relief Fund respectively ; and all penalties recovered under this section, less the expenses incident to the recovery of the same, shall be paid by the Inspector of Mines into the aforesaid Sick

Sick and Accident Fund, and Coalminers' Relief Fund. 1891, No. 46, seo. 69 1901, No. 46, sec. 4

Inspector may examine books of mine.

Penalty for failing to contribute.

36