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APPENDIX B. BEPOIvTS BELATINO TO THE INSPECTION OF COAL-MINES. Tlie Inspecting Engineer of Mines to the Under-Secretary of Mtnes. g IR _ Wellington, 26th March, 1917. 1 have the honour to present my annual report, together with statistical information, in regard to the coal-mines of the Dominion, for the year ended 31st December, 1916. The report is divided into the following sections : — I. Output of Mineral. • 11. Persons employed. 111. Accidents. IV. General Remarks — (a.) Mining Operations. (b.) Ventilation. (c.) Eye Accidents to Coal-hewers from Flying Coal. (d.) Systematic Timbering. Annexures— A. Summary of Annual Reports by Inspectors of Mines. 15. Report on tlie Brunner Fireclay-deposits by Inspectors of Mines, T. O. Bishop and James Newton. C. Statistics of Workings in Collieries. D. Examination of Colliery Officials, and List of Certificate-holders.

SECTION I.—OUTPUT. The output of the several classes of coal mined in each inspection district is summarized as follows: —

Output of Coal during 1916. Total riiitniit. Total uutpul Class of Coal. to the Northern West Coast Southern T . , End of 1916. Distriot. Distriot. Distriot. i I i Total Output to the End of 1916. Total. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Bituminous and semi-bitu- 126,536 1,285,538 ... 1,422,074 28,800,708 minous* Tons. Tons. 1,422,074 Tons. 28,800,708 Brown... ... ... 359,578 97 294,223 653,898 13,145,210 Lignite ... 181,163 181,163 2,144,253 294,223 181,163 653,898 181,163 13,145,210 2,144,253 Totals for 1916 ... 486,114 j 1,295,635 475,386 2,257,135 44,090,171 486,H4 I 1,295,635 2,257,135 44,090,171 Totals for 1915 ... 460,415 1,278,994 469,215 2,208,624 41,833,036 - I * Including coal formerly classified as "pitch " coal. The output for 1916 is, with the exception of 1914, the highest yet attained in the Dominion, but the average output for each person employed underground—viz., 750 tons—constitutes a record for New Zealand, and has only been exceeded in Australia on one occasion—viz., during