C.—4.

58

[W. MORGAN.

32. During the course of your experience of twenty-eight years have you not found it is impossible on all occasions to have every place well ventilated? —I have found it is not practicable to do so. 33. Do not circumstances occur to make the air dull at times? —Yes. 34. Have the men complained to you about the deposition of excreta in the mine?—No, but I have had occasion to caution them about going into certain parts for that purpose. 35: How long ago? —Pretty well ever since I have been in charge. 36. Have the men asked for bath-houses and change-houses at the mine? —No, they have not asked me for them. 37. Does your company give you a free hand regarding timber for the mine? —Yes. 38. As regards a fixed standard of temperature?—l think it would be hard to fix a standard to be applicable to every place. 39. Wiry?— The conditions would hardly warrant it. 40. As regards the oxygen standard, would you be in favour of having that incorporated in the law so that a minimum quantity of oxygen should be provided ?—The same thing would apply to that as to the other. 41. Does the Inspector of Mines frequently visit your mine? —Yes, about three or four times a year. 42. Does he thoroughly investigate all the working-places in" the mine? —He does not go into all parts of the mine. 43. Do you consider that he makes a thorough examination?— Yes. 44.. Is he strict with regard to you?— Well, I can only say that I think he carries out his duties conscientiously. 45. Does he give you orders? —Yes, he points out things sometimes which he considers require attention. 46. In driving your places narrow, what is your object?— Well, our bords in the solid workings are driven 8 ft. wide. It is not practicable to drive them much wider, because the roof will not stand it. The narrower bo rd ensures safety. 47. As the result of driving them narrow, have you made the men safe from falls?— Yes. 48. Does that narrowness make it more difficult to ventilate the section? —Yes, it does, more particularly when there has been a creep. 49. Your gain in safety, then, makes up for your loss in ventilation? —I admit that I do not get the same results in regard to ventilation. 50. In case of falls from the roof, how many means of escape have the men from the mine?— There are six tunnels through to the surface. 51. How many more is that than the statute actually requires?—We have four more than the law requires. 52. Regarding the wet state of the mine : where does the water come from? —We are troubled sometimes with water when we get heavy rains—it finds its way down where the pillars have been extracted. It is flood-water. 53. Would it be possible to drive a water-level to take that water off?— No. 54. Have you ever found any inflammable gas in your mine?— No. 55. Do your men carry out the daily examination with a safety-lamp? —Yes, the deputy does, to make certain that the mine is safe. 56. Has he ever found firedamp in the mine? —No. 57. Did the Inspector draw your attention to the necessity for a ventilating-fan nine months ago?—l think the matter was brought up more than nine months ago. A fan was practically promised before my coming here. 58. Are you aware that the Inspector was for years urging your company to get a fan? —Yes, previous to my coming here. 59. When was the fan ei*ected? —Shortly before last Christmas. 60. Have the men ever informed you that the fan has improved the ventilation?—No, they have not informed me. 61. Hare the men ever suffered through falls of roof? —There was one case where a man was hurt, but he had been cautioned by the deputy about timbering his working-place. 62. Did he enter it in his book?— No. 1 do not know why. 63. Then the deputy neglected his duty? —-Yes, but not intentionally. 64. You consider the mine to be a safe mine as regards timbering?— Yes. 65. Mr. Bowgray .] In reply to a question by Mr. Reed you said, Mr. Morgan, it was not possible —or, rather, not practicable —to prevent there being hot places in the mine? —It is not practicable under the conditions we are working in. 66. What standard of temperature do you fix for six-hour places? —We fix no standard of temperature; it was simply agreed between the union officials and myself. 67. The, Chairman.'] What would be a reasonable temperature to require the reduction to a six-hour shift? —It depends upon the conditions of the mine. Sometimes a peculiar smell in the old workings would bear on the point. 68. Can you give us any idea of a temperature that you might fix?—We may fix it at 80°. 69. Was your attention drawn to the temperature in Wallace's place three months ago? —Yes, about that time. 70. Are those shafts that have been referred to upcasts? —They are both upcast shafts. 71. If they are both upcasts, how can the fan have any effect on them? —The fan has no effect upon them. 72. Then the fan has no effect upon that section at all?—No, it has not the effect I would like it to have.