5

O.—2A

Mine sales— Tons cwt. Tons cwt. Sold to workmen .. .. .. .. 365 0 Stock in bin .. .. .. .. .. 57 I' 2 422 12 Stock on wharf .. .. .. .. 239 10 239 10 27,793 8 Used on works .. .. .. .. .. 2,00« l Waste .. .. .. .. .. .. 35.1 6 Slack dump .. .. .. .. .. 195 11 — 2,549 19 The gross total output from this colliery since its inception amounts to 557,747 tons 13 cwt. Days worked. —The mine during the period worked 222|- days. The difference between the days worked and the possible working-days, not including union holidays and pay Saturdays, is accounted for as follows : Railway strike, 3 days ;j stop-work meetings, 2 strike, 8 ; delays to shipping, 2 ; funerals, 7 , want of orders, 19 ; want of wagons, A 3|; Chinese football match, 1 : total, 45J. Employees. —The average numberjjof persons employed in and about the mine in connection with coal-winning was 68, made up as follows : Underground —Coal-hewers, 29 ; deputies, shiftmen, and truckers, 19 : on the surface —16 men and 4 boys. In addition to those employed under the head of " coal-winning " there were on an average 5 men and 1 boy employed on development work, making a total for this colliery of 69 men and 5 boys. Payments. —The total payments made in connection with coal-winning for wages, stores, minetimber, and compensation amounted to £20,367 19s. 3d., an increase of £4,592 ss. sd. over the previous year. Coal-hewers' Average Daily Earnings. — The coal-hewer's average daily earning (gross) was £1 Bs. 0-94 d., and the net return to each man after deducting stores (explosives) was £1 2s. l-19d., a decrease of Is. l-72d. per day compared with the previous year. Days worked by Goal-hewers. —The total number of days that could have been worked by coalhewers was 6,789 ; the total worked was 6,1164 > the number lost, including those lost through sickness, was 672f. Taking the average daily tonnage produced per coal-hewer, 4-43 tons, together with the days lost by coal-hewers, this represents a loss in output of 2,980 tons. Underground Development. —At this colliery arrangements were being made to work the mine on what is known as the panel system. A plan was accordingly made showing the proposed workings under this scheme, and an attempt was made to carry it out, but owing to the intrusion of stone bands in the seam, and large rolls of stone being encountered, the system had to be abandoned in the meantime. The main heading was extended a distance of 8 chains during the year. After driving 6 chains, a stone roll was encountered, completely pinching out the seam. The roll has been partly crossed, and the seam in the downthrow side has been met, but so far only 2 ft. of the seam is showing. When the roll was first encountered the seam gradually pinched until the apex of the roll was reached. At this latter point the seam completely disappeared. Although the seam completely disappeared, the roof remained unbroken. The latter was therefore followed as a guide until the seam was again met. Four chains ahead of the face of the main heading is borehole No. 1, where the seam was proved to be 8 ft. 6 in. thick. Eleven chains ahead of bore No. lis bore No. 2, where the seam was again proved to be 8 ft. 6 in. thick, and 12 chains farther on and in the same line is the 7 ft. outcrop, on the banks of the Nine-mile Creek. Once this trouble is completely crossed in the main heading there is every prospect of the field being more uniform. A dip heading was driven a distance of 9J chains, and levels driven off right and left. There are at the present time six pairs of miners employed in the dip section, and coal won therefrom is of good quality. An attempt was made to drive a new dip heading 12 chains on the inbye of the present one, but owing to a stone roll being encountered, which completely pinched out the seam, it was abandoned. A new level was also driven in a northerly direction oS the main haulage-road. Off this level, headings were driven in a westerly course, and a connection was made with one of the outcrops. Co-operative Contracts. —A party of thirteen men came to terms with the management for working the dip section on the co-operative system. The party, however, worked only fifteen days when the union objected to the system, and in consequence the party terminated their contract. In the party were ten coal-hewers and three truckers, and the output produced was 978 tons 12 cwt., an average of approximately 65 tons 5 cwt. per day. The coal-hewers worked 138 days, and their average daily output worked out to 7 tons 1-8 cwt. per coal-hewer. The truckers worked forty-four shifts, making a total of 182 shifts worked by the party. The gross earnings were £369 7s. 9d., and after deducting stores (explosives) the net total to be divided amongst the party was £303 3s. 9d. Their net daily average earning for the time worked was therefore £1 13s. 3-75 d. General. Although the average daily output at the Liverpool Colliery is higher than in the previous year, it will be noticed that the gross output shows a decrease of 18,144 tons 10 cwt. This reduction in output is due to the number of working-days being approximately forty less than in the previous year. A lhe output at the James Mine shows an increase over the previous year of 3,198 tons 9 cwt. This increase would, of course, have been greater had the mine worked full time.