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Serious Non-fatal Accidents. On the 7th February a minor named E. Guy suffered a fractured fibula by slipping on a gangway at the Liverpool Mine. On the 15th March the mine-manager of the Blackball Mine, Mr. J. Neilson, was crushed between a full tub and the leg of a set. Seven ribs were broken. On the 3rd April Peter Dawson, a miner working at the Blackball Mine, had his right femur fractured. He stumbled over a shovel when jumping back from a fall of coal. He fell, breaking the bone. On the 4th May, at the Enner Glynn Mine, Charles Bradford, a miner, was burned on the face and arms by an ignition of gas in his working-place. On tho 13th September, C. Hewitson, a shiftman, suffered a fractured fibula from a fall of coal and stone from the rib-side in a place in tire Liverpool No. 3 Mine. On the 18th October J. Braithwaite, a miner, also had a fibula fractured, in the Liverpool No. 3 Mine by a piece of the middle stone falling upon him. On the 28th October, James Regan, a minor, working in O'Brien and Regan's Mine, Seddonville, was struck in tho eye by a small piece of coal flying from his pick, lie worked a few days, but subsequently had to go to the Westport Hospital, and the eye had to be removed on the 21st November. On tho 15th December, James King, deputy, and William Mahor, underviewer, were burnod on thoir faces and arms by an ignition of inflammable gas in tho south pillar section of the Millerton Mine. A fail had occurred in an old bord and completely blocked tho place. Methane accumulated at the top of tho fall, and was ignited by King's carbide -lamp. Dangerous Occurrences requiring Notification (Regulation 81). A small fire was discovered on the Mino Crook haulago-road, Millerton Mine, cm tho 2nd February, but it was soon put out by buckets of water. On the 28th February two minors ignited a small quantity of inflammable gas in the main level, No. 9 dip section. Blackball Mine. This is the first occasion on which gas has been reported at that mino, and a close inspection by four officials was made, but no further trace of gas was found. On the 27th May heating was noticed in the third west pillars, Millerton Mine. Some of the heated coal was filled away and water was pumped on and extinguished the fire. On tho 2nd June the workings of the No. 2 seam, Ferndale-Tirnaru Mine, wore discovered to be on fire. This mine had been idlo for somo months, and the section had been partly pillared towards the end of 1921. The fire reported on the 11th November, 1920, is presumed to have again broken out, and it had gained considerable headway before being discovered. Entrances were stopped off and water was led on. A Cameron duplex pump also helped to fill the lower workings with water. This fire appears to bo now extinguished. On the 19th June heating was discovered in the Extended section, Coalbrookdale Mine. Tho heated matter was filled out and the temperature then reduced to normal. On tho 26th July the contractors in the low-level tunnel, Morgan soam, Liverpool Mine, struck a " blower " of gas. Tho next day this " blower" increased in quantity and the men were withdrawn. A safety-lamp was extinguished by the gas noar the roof 20 ft. back from the face. Another line of ventilating-pipes was connected to tho fan. In the south pillar section, Millerton Mine, two officials were burned by an ignition of inflammable gas on the 15th Docember. A shiftman was burned on the 21st December in the No. 4 tunnel, Liverpool Mino, by an ignition of a small quantity of gas. The underground firos at tile Blackball Mine which occurred on the 19th August and the 24th November are referred to elsewhere in this report. Cancellation of Coal Leases and Coal-prospecting Licenses. Two coal leases held by the Seaforth Coal Company, near Coilingwood, were determined on tho 14th September owing to non-oomplianco of tho terms of the leases. Ten coal-prospecting licenses were also cancelled —four at Recfton, two at Westport, two at Charleston, one at Greymouth, and ono at Glonhope. Four licenses were surrendered during the year, and one coal lease. Prosecution. On the 20th March an underviewer was fined £1 and costs for a breach of Special Rule 17 by not seeing that two workmen were out of the mine. Boring at Dobson. To prove if workable coal existed in the southern portion of the area hold by the Dobson Coal Company, boring was commenced in March, and so far three diamond-drill boreholes havo been completed. The first hole proved lOJft. clean hard coal at 821 ft. ; the socond hole, to the east, proved 11 ft. of coal at a depth of 761 ft. ; the third hole proved 20 ft. of coal, at 1,055 ft. ; the fourth hole is being drilled near Mill Creek. Onakaka Prospecting Operations. Finding that the Mataura seam of coal, near Coilingwood, was suitable for producing blast-furnace coke, the Onakaka Iron and Steel Company engaged prospectors to prove the thickness and area of tho coal available. The soam outcrops on the hills behind Kaituna, a few miles from Coilingwood, and at an altitude of about 1,200 ft. abovo sea-level. One small drive, put in years ago, shows coal about 3 ft. thick. One of the drives, recently put in for about a chain, has proved the seam to bo split up by stone bands. Near the floor is 20 in. of clean coal, then 18 in. of conglomerate, thon another 20 in. of clean coal, then 6 in. of stone, and then another 6 in. of coal. Numerous other outcrops have been prospected. The country is very rugged, and the soam is from eight to nine miles distant from the ironworks. Southern Inspection District (Mr. E. R. Green, Inspector). Mount Torlesse Collieries. —The working-places were well timbered and in safe condition. The working-places were, well bratticed and free from smoke, and a fresh opening was being holed to the surface to maintain the ventilation. Pillar-working had been commenced back from the fault which had been met with, and in which a slight ignition of firedamp had caused burns of hands and face to the underviewer, G. Littlewood, who was in consequence off work eight days. The place was carefully stopped oil, and gas had not been reported since. A new dip was being driven from the surface to pick up the seam at a lower level and thus open a new block of coal. Springfield Mine. —A small output had been obtained from an outcrop of surface seam of coal. Hornebush Colliery. —The principal places of this company's colliery had been abandoned as worked out. Four men continued working at the surface section, where a small quantity of coal remained to be recovered from the dip. Bush Gully Mine. —The colliery plant, with rfils and sleepers of tho private branch railway, had been removed to Coalgato for disposal by sale. St. Heleni Mine. —The working examined on the previous inspection was abandoned, and a prospecting-dip had been driven in which three seams, 3 ft., 5 ft., and 6 ft. respectively in thickness had been intersected. Timbering satisfactory. Natural ventilation good. Steventon Mine. —A 6 ft. seam, dipping' 1 in 2, with a strong stone roof, was being worked. Tho main heading was driven to the full dip of the seam for a distance of 5 chains, winning-places, driven at right angles on the strike of the seam, having 10 yard pillars between. Workings were in a satisfactory condition, and ventilation was good

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