39

a—2.

APPENDIX B. REPORTS RELATING TO THE INSPECTION OF COAL-MINES. The Inspecting Engineer of Mines to the Under-Secretary of Mines. Sir— Wellington, 15th March, 1921. I have the honour to present- my fifteenth annual report, together with statistical information, in regard to coal-mines of the Dominion, for the year ended 31st December, 1920, in accordance with section 78 of the Coal-mines Act, 1908. The report is divided into the following sections :— I. Output. 11. Persons employed. 111. Accidents. IV. Working of the Coal-mines Act— (a.) Ventilation. (b.) Systematic Timbering, (c.) Permitted Explosives. (d.) Dangerous Occurrences. (c.) Electricity at Collieries. V. Legislation affecting Coal-mining. VI. Transportation of Coal by Flume. Annexures — A. Summary of Annual Reports by Inspectors of Mines. B. Colliery Statistics. SECTION T.- OUTPUT. The output of the several classes of coal mined in each inspection district is summarized as follows :—

The continued annual decline in coal-production was caused by stoppage of work and restriction of output at the Waikato and West Coast collieries The [nangahua, Otago, and Southland coalfields, however, produced a record output.

Class of Coal. Output of Cot Northern West Coast Distriot Distriot (North Island), j (South Island). il during 1920. Total Out Southern Distriot (South Island). Total. to the End of 1920. Tons. 102,801 Tons. 820,774 Tons. Tons. 923,575 Tons. 33,055,687 lituminous and semi-bitu-minous irown ... dgnite 380,691 733 334,285 204,421 715,709 204,421 15,880,197 2,948,509 Totals for 1920 ... 483,492 821,507 538,706 1,843,705 51,884,393 Totals for 1919 ... 511,451 845,826 490,571 1,847,848 50,040,688