H.—44a

74

Table 85. —Fatal Accidents in New Zealand Coal-mines — continued.

The methods by which coal is mined, of course, influence the accident, rate, and methods vary according to the nature and character of the coal-seams, the depth of the mines, and local customs. Evidence was given that the use of machines in certain New Zealand mines reduced the number of accidents considerably. Comparisons of accident rates between different countries need to be interpreted in the light of information about differences in methods of working, in intelligence and skill of miners, &c. The mere accident rates themselves may be deceptive. With this caution we quote the following table giving an international comparison from " Hoffman on Fatal Accidents in Coal-mining " (U.S.A. Bureau of Labour, 1910).

Table 86. —Fatal Accidents in Coal-mining. Comparison of Fatal-accident Rates in Coal-mining Countries for the Period 1897 to 1906.

The risk of fatal accidents in New Zealand in this period of ten years was therefore comparatively low ; but during the next ten years 133 persons lost their lives by accident, more than doubling the number per 1,000 persons employed. According to the Mines Statement for 1917, New Zealand in recent years compares most favourably with Great Britain, which stands ahead of all other countries as regards the low proportion of fatal colliery accidents. For comparison it may be stated that during the past four years at British collieries fatal accidents per 1.000 persons employed amounted to 1-53, 1 "35, 0-73, and 122 respectively, and per million tons of coal raised to 484, 3"75, 364, and 4-36. The fatal-accident rate in respect of mine workers in New Zealand collieries is not greater per 1,000 employees than the corresponding rate on the railways, though it is considerably higher than that for factory workers in the Dominion.

Year. Lives lost. Total Persons employed above and 'below. Per Million Tons Per 1,000 raised. Persons employed. Number by Accident. 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1900 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1,717 6-82 2-37 1,846 12-55 4-33 1,693 5-98 2-36 1,681 1-48 0-66 1,888 7-23 2-64 1,899 8-33 3-16 1,799 6-88 3-33 1,937 83-24 34-07 1,9.12 4-75 2-09 2,003 1-1 0-49 2,153 3-07 1-39 2,460 3-65 1'62 2,754 2-42 1-09 2,885 1-46 0-69 2,852 2-81 1-4 3,288 2-6 1-21 3,269 3-78 1-83 3,692 3-46 1-62 3,910 6-55 3-07 3,894 2-08 1-28 4,191 3-65 1-79 4,599 7-28 3'55 4,290 6-77 3-26 4,328 4-13 2-08 4,250 3-18 1-38 4,734 21-53 10.35 4,156 4-07 2-10 3,988 2-65 1-5 3,983 1-93 1 4 S 4 1 5 (I 5 06* 4 1 3 4 3 2 4 4 6 6 12 5 7 16 14 9 6 49t 9 6 4 * Year of Brunner explosion. t Year of Balph's (Huntly) explosion.

Country. Total Number of Employees at Work One Year. Fatal Ai :icidents. Number. 1 Bate per 1,000 Employees. !_ 1 North America Japan (1902-1906) Russia, Finland (1901-1903). . Victoria New South Wales Prussia France New Zealand Austria United Kingdom Queensland Belgium India (1898-1906) 5,179,343 438,259 330,147 7,902 124,940 4,389,174 1,029,177 27,268 1,186,510 7,973,031 11,714 1,322,510 790,070 16,273 1,355 805 18 267 9,327 2,944 37 1,599 10,319 14 1,401 076 3-13 3-09 2-44 2-28 2-14 2-13 1-81 1-36 1-35 1-29 1-20 1-06 0-80