a—4

48

[M. WALLACE.

34. Mr. Dowgray.] You consider the air was not properly conducted round the working-faces ?— Yes. 35. You are of the opinion that by a little expenditure on brattice the ventilation could.be much improved ?—Yes, if proper stoppings were put in to carry the air to the working-faces. 36. In your reports you frequently make mention of places being insufficiently timbered : have you had many accidents in the mine I—No,1 —No, there was only one accident, and I would not say that" that was the result of insufficient timbering. The man had his back badly hurt. 37. The Chairman.'] How long ago ? —About two years ago. 38. Mr. Dowgray.] By a fall from the roof ? —Yes. 39. When you complained about the timbering, was it remedied ?—Yes, sometimes. 40. It was-more apt to be remedied than the ventilation ?—Yes, they were more ready to remedy that than the ventilation. 41. You make reference to water on the trucking-roads ? —Yes, the water affects the feet of the men, and they lose sometimes a week or more ; the toes get the skin worn off, and they get raw. I have suffered that way myself. 42. And that could be remedied by keeping the water off the trucking-roads ? —Yes. 43. Mr. Parry.] You have been working in those places for five years, and the temperature has been very high, has it not ? —Yes, I have worked in some very hot places. 44. Have you felt any ill effects from working there ? —Yes. One is not able to get the same sleep, and one loses his appetite. 45. The Chairman.] Can you give us any idea of the temperature ? —Yes. I hung the thermometer on a prop alongside of where I was working, and when I knocked of! work it was registering 82°. That was about three months ago. 46. Did you draw the manager's attention to that I—Yes, directly I came out of the mine. 47. What did he say ? —He simply listened to me, but that was all—nothing was done. 48. Mr. Parry.] Have any men fainted through the excessive heat while you have been working in the mine ?—No. 49. The Chairman.] Have you known of any man leaving his place on account of the heat ?—lt is quite a usual thing for a man working in these places to go out when he fills his skip and wait till the skip comes back. 50. Have you known any case where a man has refused to work in any particular place because of the heat ? —No ; but in No. 6 district there was a place being driven to get to the back of a creep, and during that time six-hour shifts were worked. 51. Where was the nearest cool place—how far would the men have to go after filling the skip, as you stated % —The distances vary. 52. Mr. Parry.] Would it be any advantage to the miners to have proper change-houses and drying-apparatus I—Yes,1 —Yes, a great advantage. A man after working in these hot places gets wet through with sweat, and after ceasing work has to walk perhaps a mile in his wet clothes. Otherwise he could have his bath at the mine, change, and walk home dry. Then, again, a man getting wet on his way to the mine is at present forced to work through the whole day in his wet clothes, whereas if he had a changehouse he could work in dry clothes. 53. The Chairman.] What accommodation would be required ?—There are about twenty-four to twenty-six men on a shift, and with the addition of the truckers and so forth there would be between forty and fifty on each shift. They would need about half a dozen baths with hot water—the coalminer always washes in hot water. 54. Both plunge and shower ?—No, just a shower. 55. You would not want to build baths in ?—No. 56. Mr. Parry.] Have there been any obstacles put in the way of the workmen's inspector ? —No. 57. He has had free access to the mine ? —Yes. 58. What inconvenience are you put to in regard to sanitary appliances in this mine ? —The men require them, as at present, if they want to go to the surface, it takes perhaps half an hour; naturally, the man is not going to lessen his wage (they are on tonnage rates) by going out, and he therefore uses the mine. 59. You think sanitary arrangements are very much needed ? —Yes, they are very necessary. 60. In regard to your complaints to the mine-manager, you really thought when the complaints were made he would remedy them ? —Yes. 61. Mr. Reed.] Mr. Wallace, you stated that this is the first mine you have ever worked in? —Yes. 62. You have had no other experience ? —No 63. Do you expect the temperature of the mine to be equal to that of the outside air ? —No. 64. You stated that your last report was made in October last: have you made none since then?— No. 65. Is it not a fact that a fan has been installed since then ?—Yes. 66. Has the fan not improved the conditions of the mine ? —Only the conditions in one section of the mine. 67. The Chairman.] Which section I—That1 —That to which the fan is nearest. 68. Is that one of the sections complained of in your reports I—No. 69. Are you aware that 27,000 ft. of air is being returned by the fan I— : Yes. 70. Do you think that improves the conditions ? —lt only benefits the short circuit of the mine; it is not present through the whole distance. 71. How long is it since the fan was erected I —About six months. 72. Is it a fact that since the fan was erected you have never made a complaint ?----Yes, we have made no complaint.