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Saddle Hill No. 1 Coal-mine, Saddle Hill. —The usual withdrawal of pillar and bead coal from the old dip workings is being carried on safely. Arrangement with adjoining owners had resulted in the crossing of the boundary, and some coal was being obtained from the freehold of Harris and others, where working had been suspended some years ago. Saddle Hill No. 2 Coal-mine, Saddle Hill. —Pillar and head coal extraction is conducted with safety, and the ventilation is good. East Taieri Coal-mine, East Taieri. —Driving to the dip and opening levels from either side. New airshaft was required, also laddering, which was subsequently provided. Timber used sufficiently in working-places. Brighton Coal-mine, Brighton. -Work was recently resumed at this mine after standing idle some considerable time. Waronui Coal-mine, Milton. —Drawing remainder of pillars left at first working. This mineopening may not be expected to continue production much longer, being worked back towards the outcrop. The ambulance outfit was inadequate; the manager subsequently advised me that the omissions had been made good. MeGilp's Coal-mine, Milton. —Narrow places driven in solid, and pillars subsequently extracted. Continuity of seam apparently interrupted by faulting, beyond which the seam did not appear to last. Tres Bon Coal-mine, Milton. —A small mine reopened on the site of the old Ileal Mackay Mine on Coal Reserve. The output is delivered over half a mile of by-road to a siding on Waronui branch line. Crichton Coal-mine, Crichlon. —The output for sale began during September last. A steam hauling plant has been erected ne.u the loading-bank, from which an inclined tramway hail been laid lo Ihe mine. The coal-seam practically outcropped to surface, and is said to be not less than IS ft. in thickness. The level was driven narrow, and a place was being put up to daylight for air. Coal would be carted from the loading-bank to Crichton Railway-siding, distant 92 chains. Dunlop's Coal-mine, Lovell's Flat. —Driving for development. New Burnwell Coal-mine, Lovell's Flat. —After a short period of production the mine was closed lot I he time being. Lakeside Coal-mine, Kaitangata. —Further prospecting had resulted in the finding of what was expected to be a workable coal-seam near the Taratu to Lovell's Flat branch railway-line. Taratu Coal-mine, Lovell's Flat. -The air-supply to the dip workings had been considerably improved by more direct ventilation conducted to bottom of dip and split, having separate currents on either side around working-faces. A spontaneous fire subsequently broke out in the old workings at the surface section known as Barclay's, which had been overcome by falls of ground, water not being available on the higher levels. Kaituna Coal-mine, Kaitangata.- -Extracting pillars in rise workings. The roof is tender, props being set close to working-faces. A new dip is being driven to the 10 ft. coal-seam. Wangaloa Coal-mine (T. Gage). —The drive is in a few yards from the outcrop in the gully where the seam is exposed 10 ft. in thickness. A short tram-line and building loading-bank for cart traffic is being constructed. Kaidale Coal-mine, Wangaloa. —Driving to dip and levels are broken off at regular intervals. Timber is used ; ventilation good. Kaibrook Coal-mine, Wangaloa. —Dip drive and a pair of levels on either side were in a short distance. Williamson's Coal-mine, Wangaloa. —Two prospect!ng-drives had been put in apparently without success, as some of the timber had been drawn and the drives were fallen. The place showed evidence of abandonment. Roseneath Coal-mine, Wangaloa. —Two men at work on the 20 ft. seam outcropping on sea-beach. The surface has been stripped and the output was hauled by steam-engine from the beach to the loadingbank for road transport to Kaitangata Railway-station. Caird Bros. —Two men engaged putting in a prospecting-drivo from Ihe opencast where the seam is found outcropping "in" the gully, but apparently disturbed by faults. Summerhill Mine (J. Brcnnan). —A prospecting-drive on the hillside, where a 6ft. seam of coal was found dipping 1 in 3. Being on the outcrop the coal is somewhat crushed, but was becoming harder at the face. Longridge Coal-mine, Kaitangata. —Surface seam worked out. The mine is now abandoned and the plant removed. Forsyth Coal-mine, Forsyth. —A small mine opened during the year and subsequently abandoned as unpayable, the seam being small and crushed. Kaitangata No. 1 Mine, Kaitangata. —Ventilation at intake (mine-mouth) 31,200 cubic feet per minute, with seventy men and eight horses below. The new stone dip for a return airway in the 18 ft. seam was down to the coal, and through ventilation was provided to the upcast air-shaft. The course of the air was practically as direct as it was possible to be. The 18 ft. seam was being developed between parallel faults about 600 ft. apart from dip to rise, all places being driven narrow- at first working. No. 6 dip and Mundy's dip extension workings were in as good order as could be expected with the superincumbent pressure on the timbers causing " creep " and much disturbance of floor and sides of roadways. Travelling-ways and second outlet, the latter being the upcast air-shaft, were in good working-condition. A little gas was coming from the fault to the rise in the 18 ft. seam, and small quantities of gas were reported as occurring occasionally at the fringe of the waste in Mundy's section, but seldom such as to interrupt work. An ignition of firedamp occurred on the 3rd August, 1920, at a spontaneous fire in the back airway off McGhie's level. No damage was done, and the fire was immediately suppressed with water, an ample supply of which was laid on throughout the mine.

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