C.—2

118

Southland. Pukerau Coal-mine, Pukerau (J. Hamilton, permit, manager).—(l 6/11/11) : New crosscut drive to dip 1 in 4; seam, 10 ft. Worked 13 ft. by i> ft. high. A stenton nearly through at dip lace will allow direct air-circulation. Nelson's Coal-mine, Pukerau (J. 11. Nelson, permit).— (l 6/11/11): Work here not vigorous. The coal lies to the dip, and water is troublesome. The windmill pump is not effective. Heff crnan's Coal-mine, East '■'arc (G. B. Paterson and Co.; Joseph Hoffman, permit). — ( l.'i/10/ll) : Levels driven to right-hand side of dip. Seam. 20 ft. thick, of which about 15 ft. is worked by the bord-and-pillar system. Green's Goal-mine, Gore (Thomas Green, owner; W. C. Johnston, permit). — (11/10/11): The (an ventilation is good. Dip drive is extended, and a new lift of east and west levels is being driven in the usual way. Daily report-book and plan kept. Bushy Park Coal-pit, Groydon, (Sore (J. and R. Tait, owners; George Flett, permit, manager). (11/10/11): Stripping, 2 ft. to G ft., is kept well back. Report-book required to be kept; copy of general rules should be posted. The old mine is completely abandoned. The shale-seam is still smouldering, but no damage is being done. Burundi i'mil-pit , Chatton (D. Cameron, permit).—(l 3/10/11): .Not at work on the occasion of my visit, and apparently nol much doing. In good working-order. Chatton Coal-pit, Cluitton (Ramsay Bros., lessees; V,. Ramsay, permit). —(13/10/11): In good working-order. A ooi ction having been made with Cameron's pit adjoining, ventilation is improved, a straight underground connection being advantageous to both mines. Pacey's Freehold Coal-pit, Chatton (Ramsay Bros., lessees; Robert Burgess, permit). — (13/10/11): Seam. 20 ft. to 25 ft.. of which 15 ft. is worked bord and pillar. Ventilation is good. Vertical clay backs, more or less open, occur in the seam, but are not dangerous in working. The powder magazine is in good order. Springfield Coal-pit, Waikaka Valley (I!. Mcc Chang, permit, lessee). —(16/11/11): Seam, 17 ft.; formerly worked opencast, but now driving underground. I condemned an iron tank used as a powder-magazine, it being perished and defective. A new 400-gallon iron tank is being obtained for storage of blasting-powder. Wittowbank Colliery, Waikaka Valley (G. B. Paterson, owner; E. Charles, mine-manager). —(12/10/11): The ventilation is good; the air is conducted around working-faces. The faults met with on either hand are now converging. A fresh dip drive is laid off to prove the field. Pillar-drawing on the northern fault boundary is well conducted, a good roof-break having been obtained. Glenlee Coal-pit, Waikaka Valley (D. 'I. MoGill, permit). —(12/10/11): A good area stripped in advance of working-face. Edge's Coal-pit, Waikaka Valley (A. A. Edge, lessee: \Y. Molvor, permit, sublessee). — (12/10/11): In good working-order. Landslip <'mil-mine Waikaia (William Kyle, permit, lessee). —(27/10/11): Workings are now conducted on the seam, where it assume* -,\ high inclination. Levels are driven and bords taken out to the walls on either side. The ground is bad holding, and a large proportion of the seam has to be kept in for support. Rossvale Coal-mine, Waikaia (Craig and Wilkes, lessees; T. Knuckey, permit). —(27/10/11): The ventilation is satisfactory, and the mine in good working-order. Waikaia Coal-mine, Waikaia (Alexander Cain, lessee; J. McLelland, mine - manager).— (27/10/11) : The heating on the north side of the dip had slightly increased, so that close attention to the stoppings was necessary where ;ishes ami clay wen. tamped and where leakages of black damp occurred. A general creep has affected the workings where the roof and floor are meeting rapidly. A new second outlet air and travelling way is now required, and was promised at an early date. Muddy Terrace Coal-mine, Waikaia (Knuckey and Junker, lessees; F. A Junker, permit).— (27/10/11): Withdrawing pillars; one man at work, underground. This property is being prospected by an Invercargill syndicate to prove the shale. Six bores have been put through the shale, and 35 acres proved. The deepest hole, 62 f£., contained 14 ft. of shale; other holes have proved seams of from 9 ft. to 19 ft. of shale. Argyle Coal-pit, denary, Waikaia (C. H. Hutton, permit).—Opencast pit, worked for local requirements. Anderson's Coal-pit, Wendon (P. Radford).- -A small output was derived from the highly inclined seam during the early part of the year. Waimea Coal-pit, Kingston Crossing (Johnstone and Shore, lessees; J. E. Johnstone, permit). —(27/11/11): Opencast work has been suspended at this mine, and underground driving is being carried out. The workings are in good order. Seam, 6 ft. Lynch's Coal-pit, Kingston Grossing (Mason and Sons, lessees; E. A. Mason, permit). — (27/11/11) : Seam, (i ft. The workings are in good order. I'rinchester Creek (late Beir'x) Coal-pit, The Key (W. O. Kempthorne, lessee). —The present lessee is making a good effort to supply coal for local requirements. Mutaura Collieries, Mataura (Mataura Collieries (Limited) : James Broome, mine-manager).— (14/10/11): The ventilation is good, and powder smoke is removed thereby in reasonable time. The workings are in good order. New concrete powder-magazine has been elected. Mataura Lignite I'll*. Mataura (Beattie, Coster, and Co., owners; W. Coster, permit, manager). —(14/10/11): The workings are opencast. The stripping is kept well in advance of the working coal-face. Powder-magazine approved. Boghead Coal-mine, Mataura (('. I. Sleeman and Co., lessees; C. P. Sleeman, jun., permit). ■ — (14/10/11) : Opencast work, stripping is kept well ahead. The working-face ir in good order.