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7th, Bth, and 9th August: Informations against a manager were heard for failing to install and use safetylamps. Informations were dismissed. Notice of appeal submitted. sth December, 1922 : A miner acting as brakesman on the occasion of the fatal accident at Wilson's Colliery (Waro Mine) was fined £4 and cost 3 £3 3s. 6d. for failing to see that the trucks were securely coupled before setting in motion. A youth acting as assistant brakesman was convicted and fined £2 and oosts £2 lis. 6d. for a similar omission. sth December : The owners of the Wilson's Collieries (Limited) were proceeded against as contributory parties in negligence on the occasion of tho fatal accident. Informations dismissed. Fatal Accident. Wilson's Collieries, Hikurangi. —At (i a.m. on the 4th August, 1922, a fatal accident occurred on the main haulage and travelling road (Waro Mine), whereby John Craig, miner, was instantaneously killed, and David Veiteh, miner, sustained injuries to which he subsequently succumbed in the Whangarei Hospital the same day. Investigations into the circumstances revealed a serious defect in the method of carrying out the brakesman's duties under Special Rule 88. The deceased were working short shift, wet places, and before descending the incline at 6 a.m. it is alleged that they did not notify the brakesmen to cease haulage while they were travelling. There were two brakesmen appointed to carry out the statutory duties of coupling and conducting trucks at tho top of the incline- On the occasion of the accident the trucks had not been coupled before they were pushed over the brow of the incline, and five uncontrolled trucks set in motion by tho brakesmen collided with tho deceased about 7 chains down the incline. At the inquest the Coroner stated the accident was caused by a want of care on the part of the brakesmen in omitting to couple up the trucks before setting in motion. Legal proceedings were taken against the brakesmen for a breach of Special Rule 88, and both were convicted and fined. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. Taupiri Extended Mine. —16th January : Andrew Chrysta], miner—synovitis of right knee due to slipping in his working-place ; still off work. 3rd February : James Seath, trucker —injured left hernia through slipping on flatsheet; off work 101 days. 11th April : Matt Botaci, rope-attendant —amputation second finger right hand; fingers crushed in jig-wheel; off 100 days. sth Juno :W. R. Mayland, miner—severe injuries to side, due to being struck by a prop he was setting ; still off work. 28th July :C. Bestwick, miner—injury left inguinal hernia., due to lifting a full skip which was derailed ; off ninety days. 9th October :J. Dooley, miner—injured right sterno-clavieular joint through slipping on the travelling-road ; still off work. Rotowaro Colliery. —lst February : James Fulton, miner—slight dilation of heart due to straining himself whilst at work; still off work. 24th February :A. Byers, surfaceman —injury right side of chest, due to falling off plank on to logs in dam ; still off work. sth May : John Walsh, miner—severe injuries to back, due to being struck by falling roof-coal; still off work. Pukemiro Collieries. —19th June : Joseph Melting, miner—injury to left eye with corneal ulcer; struck by piece of coal from pick-point; off work 151 days. 23rd August: Thomas Sharp, miner—bruised back and pelvis ; struck by an upturned skip he was righting ; still off work. 16th October : Walter Brown, miner—loss of vision left eye, due to being struck by a piece of coal from pick-point; off work seventy-nine days. Kerr and Party's Mine.—ZxA August: William Crackett, miner—total loss of right eye, due to piece of coal from pick-point; still off work. Pukemiro Junction Colliery. —llth January: Edwin Davey, miner—fractured femur and injuries to pelvis; struck by roof-coal while preparing to set a prop; still off work. Cunningham's Mine. —l6th March : W. Trotter, miner—injuries to back and shoulder, due to fall of roof-coal whilst extracting timber; off work 153 days. Hikurangi Collieries. —31st August: A. G. Tunstall, deputy—fractured small bones of foot; assisting the erection of set of timber when bar fell, striking his foot; off work thirty-seven days. Wilson's Collieries. —22nd May : W. R. Ware, miner—badly strained back sustained whilst at work; off work eighty-six days. General Remarks. Accidents. —46B accidents were reported during the year 1922, and compared with the figures of 1921 (438 reported accidents) this year's total is unsatisfactory. There were sixty-nine eye accidents and fifty septic accidents, and the majority of these would be preventable by the use of approved eye-gauzes, and the more liberal use of the antiseptics provided at the mines. There were no accidents arising from the use of electricity for the transmission of power, or from the operations of shot-firing. Welfare. —It is worthy of note that several of the principal coal-mining companies have assisted with facilities for recreation. The Taupiri Coal-mines (Limited) has set aside a block of suitable ground for recreation purposes, and assisted with the erection of a fine pavilion. The Pukemiro Collieries (Limited) has laid down and prepared tennis-courts and a football-ground. The Waipa Company is proceeding with excavations for providing two tenniscourts and a bowling-green. In connection with mining accidents, the establishment of a cottage hospital at Huntly is much desired for treating urgent accident oases. West Coast Inspection District (Mr. George Dijgqan, Inspector.) Coal-output. —l am pleased to record that the output of coal for the year —879,983 tons —shows an increase of 69,108 tons over that of the previous year. The Buller district output increased by 85,517 tons, and that of the Greymouth district by 14,700 tons. There was a decrease in the Reefton district output of 28,812 tons, and in the Nelson district of 2,297 tons. Grey District. New Zealand State Coal-mines. —Liverpool Colliery, No. 1 section : The output from this section was produced by pillar-extraction in the upper seam and in the Morgan seam workings. In the low-level tunnel the upcast was completed early in the year, and a ventilating-fan installed at the top of the upcast. Owing to the prevalence of inflammable gas only safety-lamps and permitted explosives are used in this drive. It is estimated to strike the Morgan seam at 56 chains from the entrance. The 11 ft. seam, met 20 chains in, is fairly clean, and three pairs of miners are producing coal therefrom. Liverpool No. 4 section : This is a small section of worldngs near the Morgan seam, low-level tunnel, and safetylamps are used there also. The coal is about 7 ft. to 8 ft. thick, and fairly clean. A dip has been driven about 3 chains, and the average grade was 1 in 5, but at the face the grade increased to about 1 in 2J. Liverpool No. 3 seotion : This section is rapidly approaching exhaustion. As no reports of inflammable gas had been recorded for over two years, the use of naked lights was sanctioned on tho Ist June last. James Mine. —The main heading has been driven a distance of 38 chains from the entrance, and the coal has improved considerably in quality within the last few chains, there now boing 5J ft. of clean coal. The coal is a little thinner in the back heading—about 5 ft.—and two places going to the east off the main heading have also proved clean coal, but it is inclined to thin. A place driven off the heading going north-westward shows 5|- ft. of clean coal. Paparoa Colliery. —The coal met through the downthrow fault in the No. 1 section being very stony and unsaleable, the management decided to commence extracting the pillars in this section, and the output for the latter half of the year was therefore solely from pillars being worked in this and in the Wilson's jig section. Blackball Colliery. —The large fault was struck in four places off No. 10 bank, No. 9 dip section, during August, so the workings off this level will only last about another twelve months. The main dip is 18 chains below the No. 1 level.