C.—2a

2

Days worked.- —During the year the No. 1 mine worked 211 days, No. 2 mine 212, No. 3 mine 215J, and No. 3 Extended 217|, out of a possible 312 days. The difference between the days worked and the possible working-days is accounted for as follows : —

There is an average decrease of approximately 38 working-days compared with those of the previous year. Employees.—ln connection with coal-winning, the average number of persons employed in and about the mine was 295, made up as follows : Underground —Coal-hewers, 94 ; deputies, shiftmen, and truckers, 100 : on the surface —70 men and 31 boys. In addition to those employed under the head of " coal-winning " there were, on an average, 38 men and 1 boy employed on development work, making a total number for this colliery of 302 men and 32 boys. Payments.—The total payments made in connection with coal-winning, for wages, stores, mine-timber, and compensation, amounted to £75,725 13s. 2d., a decrease of £3,451 17s. lOd. in payments compared with the previous year. In addition to the amount expended on coal-winning, there was £14,197 Is. 7d. expended on development work, which included the driving of two stone headings, erection of a new change and bath house, erection of a new lamp-room, and the building of a concrete wall and piers for a new bridge across the Seven-mile Creek. Coal-hewers' Average Daily Earnings. —The coal-hewers' average daily earnings (gross) were £1 6s. l-55d., and after making deductions for stores (explosives) the net return was £1 3s. 11-80 d., an increase of 4-26 d. per day over the earnings of the previous year. Daily Output. —The average daily mine-output was 542 tons 17 cwt., and the daily average output per coal-hewer was 6 tons 9-42 cwt., an increase of 11 tons 17 cwt., and 4-69 cwt., respectively, when compared with the previous year. Days worked by Coal-hewers. —The total number of days that could have been worked by coalhewers was 20,360| : the number worked was 17,953J, and the number lost, including those lost through sickness, was 2,407f. Taking the average daily output per coal-hewer at 6 tons 942 cwt., this represents a loss of approximately 15,580 tons. In addition to the days lost by miners through sickness, &c., the mines were idle on 38 days from causes for which the men were not responsible —namely, delays to shipping, railway strike, enginedrivers' strike, and breakdown on railway. Taking the daily average output at 542 tons 17 cwt., this represents a loss in output of 20,628 tons 6 cwt. There were also 16 days lost by the miners that should have been worked, and this represents a further loss in output of 8,685 tons 12 cwt. Deficiencies. —The total amount paid under the minimum clause during the year was £763 19s. Id. This works out to the cost of l-58d. per ton. Underground Workings. —At the present time there are four mines being worked—namely, Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 3 Extended. There was also another mine worked (known as No. 4) but it was stopped at the end of last January. At the No. 1 mine there are two seams being worked —namely, the Morgan seam and the Top seam. Development work in both these seams was discontinued some time ago, therefore operations have been confined during the year to the extraction of pillars. No. 2 Mine.—Two seams are being worked in this mine, and arrangements are being made to develop another one. The seams are known as the Anderson, Kimbell, and Morgan. The former was partly opened up several months ago, but had to be stopped pending power being available for hauling and pumping purposes. Power is now available, and arrangements are now being made to develop the seam. The Kimbell seam was pierced in the low-level adit in June last, and, so far, development work has been confined to the driving of main and companion levels in an easterly and westerly course, together with the necessary connections for ventilation. The Morgan seam was

| No. 1 Mine. No. 2 Mine. No. 3 Mine. | 0 Union holidays .. .. .. .. 14 14 14 14 Strike over a miner's lamp being stopped .. 1 1 Strike re trucker going 6n coal .. .. 1 Quarterly cavils.. .. .. .. 1| U 1| U Delays to shipping, due to strikes, bad 21 21 21 19 weather, and other causes Railway strike .. .. .. .. 9 9 9 9 Fall on haulage-road .. . . .. J i ..... Railway tablet wires out of order .... 1 1 1 1 Breakdown on railway .. .. .. .. 1 1 Engine-drivers strike ...... 7 7 7 6 Strike re co-operative system .... 9 9 6 7 Fatal accidents at mine .. .. .. 4 4 4 4 Funerals .. .. .. .. 4 4 4 4 Pay Saturdays .. .. . . .. 26 26 26 26 English Football Team ...... 1 1 1 1 Chinese Football Team ...... 1 1 1 1 101 100 96| 941