43

C—2.

sections operations fare confined to exploiting small areas of coal existing under ridges and small knobs. In the Mangatina section arrangements are well in hand for the driving of headings in the bottom coal to reach some pillars which were left behind in a former working. In February Manager Pearson, Underviewer Maher, and Deputies Ford and Cowan lost their lives while engaged in exploratory work in the No. 1 dip section of tho Mine Creek mine of this colliery. The intention was to prove whether the No. 1 dip haulage-road could bo recovered for future haulage purposos. Stockton Colliery. —Operations consist of the development of the Fly Creek area, which has so far been proved to contain a great thickness of coal of fair quality, and finding a ready sale. The panel system of working is being adhered to. The seam is a very wet one. A new loco, road is being constructed to facilitate haulage of coal. The workmen will also travel by loco., and walking-time, therefore, will be considerably reduced, and more time allowed at the coal-face. The old mine will soon be finished, on account of having to leave enough pillars to protect the main loco.-road. Westport Main Colliery. —This small mine adjoins the Millerton Colliery. Operations consist of driving headings in a north-easterly direction. As much of the scam has very little overburden, a goodly portion is won by the opencast method. About forty men are employed. Transportation is by gravity-incline haulage. Clydevale Colliery. —During the early part of tho year prospecting operations revealed a fair-quality coal, about 6 ft. thick, under a narrow ridge. The main heading was driven to this area and development work started. Towards the latter part of the year an output of 40 tons daily was being obtained. Prospecting operations may possibly reveal a fair aroa of coal in unbroken country ahead. Cardiff Bridge Mine. —The output of this mine is conveyed by fluming, and is now approximately 120 tons per day. In two places of this mine the coal is got by the miners and transported entirely by water, thus doing away with filling and trucking. No solid coal remains to be worked, and the output is derived from pillars. Close supervision has prevented any outbreak of fire this year. Old Cardiff Mine (Dove's). —The output is derived from pillar-extraction in the old aroa and from an area of solid coal on the south side of the mine. The fire is still active and causing much concern. The output is about 120 tons daily. Chester and Party's Mine. —Work has continued steadily on. a small scale throughout the yoar. The seam is very thin and stony; three men are employod. Goal Greek Mine, Upper Mokihinui. —Prospecting operations having proved successful, the party, working on the co-operative principle, arc developing a seam of coal which finds a ready sale. Five men are employed. Celtic Mine. —Stony bands and local faults disturb the seam, which is very friable and dirty. Three men are employed. The output is about 0 tons daily. Glasgow Co-operative Party's Mine. —This area adjoins the old State mine on the north-eastern boundary. A boiler and winch having been procured, work has been confined during the year to developing the area to the dip. Five places are being worked. Faults to the rise prevented further progress, but it is proposed to prove the fault at a later date. The coal finds a ready sale to the Railway Department. Quinn, and Party's Mine, Mokihinui. —The output is about 5 tons daily. Three men are employed. The seam is very thin, with stony bands. Glen Lea Mine (Black and Party), Seddonville. —Operations have been confined to driving through old workings to reach a small block of coal which is supposed to exist inbye. Financial difficulties caused a suspension of operations during tho latter part of the year. Bennett's Mine, Upper Mokihinui. —Operations in the early part of the year were susponded on account of an influx of water in the dip workings. New pumping-gear was procured, the dip unwatered, and work commenced driving on tho seam to win places. The coal is transported by flume to the rail-head. Westport-Mokihinui Mine. —The seam is of variable thickness and quality. About nine men are employed. Tho output is delivered by flume to bins at railway. Westport-Cascade Mine. —Seventeen men are employed. The output is about 60 tons daily, and is transported to railway by a fluming seven miles and a half long. The seam is a continuation of the Denniston seam, and abuts against the Mount William fault, along the Cascade Creek. Charming Creek Mine. —During the year operations have been confined to the construction of a light railway, five miles long, to Ngakawau. The haulage-tunnel to reach the seam is being driven in a north-easterly direction. Huts for the workmen have been built, also a blacksmith's shop. It is expected to reach the seam about the middle of the year. Rocklands Mine, Buller Gorge. —Two men are employed. The seam is over 20 ft. in thickness. Trade is poor and transportation difficult. Very little work was done during the year. Whiiecliffs Mine, Buller Gorge. —Two men are employed. The seam is about 18 ft. thick. Very little work was done during the yoar. Grey District. Liverpool State Colliery. —No. 1 Top mine : During the year operations have been confined to extraction of pillars on the east side and the exploitation of a small block of coal on the west side. The Morgan seam was exhausted about the middle of the year. No. 2 mine : The development of the Morgan and Kimboll seams has shown a clearly defined fault to exist on the west side. On the east side the seam is developing normally. To the rise in tho Kimbell seam stony bands caused a thinning of the coal. As the mine is worked on the semi-panel system, arrangements have been made to extract the pillars in each panel as the panel-headings reach the barrier. The mine is being thoroughly stone-dusted. A new boiler has been installed and improvements made at the ventilating-fan to ensure a good supply of air to meet all requirements. Spark and Party's Co-operative Mine. —Further driving on the seam had to be abandoned on account of dirt and stony bands. The pillars are being extracted preliminary to the exploitation of an area of coal to the dip. Duggan and Party's Co-operative Mine. —Operations are confined to pillar-extraction in the upper seam ; it is proposed to open up the lower seam afterwards. O'Brien and Party's (Old Runanga) Mine (Co-operative). —Operations consist of driving on an area of coal on the western side of the old Bins Extended Mine of the Liverpool Colliery, and the extraction of a few pillars left behind in the old mine. Moody Creek Co-operative Mine. —This mine is nearly exhausted, and the party is prospecting an area of country on the north-eastern side. Guy and Party's (New Point Elizabeth) Co-operative Mine. —Work consists of driving level-headings on a seam of coal on the western side of the Seven-mile Creek. This seam is a continuation of the seam worked in the Point Elizabeth State Mines at Dunollie. Baddeley and Party's Go-operative Mine. —Faults having cut off the seam, operations now consist of pillarextraction. Nine men are employed. OastlecliJ Mine (Co-operative). —Operations consist of driving level and incline headings in an area of coal on the western side of the Seven-mile Creek, near the State Mine office. The seam is about 7 ft. thick, and nine men are employed. Armstrong and Party's Co-operative Mine. —This mine will soon be exhausted. Work is confined to extraction of the few remaining pillars. Hunter and Party's Co-operative Mine. —The pillars in the old area having been exhausted, work is now proceeding driving along the side of the old No. 2 dip boundary pillar with a view to its extraction. Work will then be put in hand to drive a dip-haulage to tho bottom seam.