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On the 25th March, Andrew Watkinson, employed as a trucker in the Blackball Mine, was found dead alongside the rails in No. 4 dip. He had evidently fallen forward and fractured his skull on the floor. On the 17th June, as a result of the severe earthquake, two men lost their lives, WilHam Chamley in the Cardiff Bridge Mine and R. McAllister in the Glasgow Mine. In both cases the men were suffocated by falls of soft material from the roof. On the 17th October David Auld, while filling a truck, wa3 struck and killed by a fall of roof-coal in the Millerton Mine. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. On the 28th February, on the Stockton loco-road, a workmens' train conveying twenty-four men from Fly Creek to Stockton became unmanageable. Of the twenty men who jumped off, twelve were injured more or less seriously. On the 2nd April Oscar De Santa had his leg broken in the Liverpool Mine by a trolly becoming derailed. On the 10th May Samuel Wilson, a miner employed at Paparoa Mine, was caught by a fall of roof-coal. Both bones in the forearm, two ribs, and his ankle were fractured. On the 23rd May Peter Campbell had his arm broken by a fall of stone in the Briandale Mine. On the 4th June J. Kay, who was at work extracting a pillar in Armstrong and party's mine, was caught by a fall of roof-stone, resulting in his leg being broken. On the Ist July John McFarlane and his mate were erecting a set in the Dobson M ; ne when the bar swung, striking McFarlane and fracturing his skull. On the 9th September J. Robertson was jigging a truck in the Dobson Mine when the jig-prop pulled out and struck him, fracturing his pelvis and scapula. On the 23rd September Joseph Hutchinson had his leg broken by a fall of stone in the Liverpool Mine. On the 17th October James Carr had his arm fractured by a fall of coal in the Millerton Mine. On the 18th November Ernest Harrison had his leg broken by a jig-rope (which was attached to a runaway truck) striking his leg^ On the 21st November James Hughes, a miner employed in tho James Mine, had his leg and arm broken by a fall of roof-stone. On the 29th November James Morrow, a shiftman employed in the Coalbrookdale Mine, was erecting a bar when it rolled and struck his leg, fracturing the bone. Dangerous Occurrences notified under Regulation 82. Reefton Coal Co.'s Mine : On the 18th February a fire was discovered in Svenson's section by the morning deputy. Stoppings were erected and the fire sealed off. Blackball Mine: On the 4th August a fire broke out in the old workings to the rise of No. 2 level, No. 9 dip. Stoppings were erected and the fire sealed off, Millerton Mine: On the 26th September indications of heating were noticed on the edge of the goaf. Eight concrete stoppings were erected and the fire sealed off. Prosecutions. There were twenty-four informations laid during the year; one was dismissed, two were withdrawn, and twenty-one convictions were recorded. On the 24th January a deputy was fined £1 with costs for firing a shot not prepared in conformity with Regulation 234 (b). On the 4th March the manager of a mine was charged with employing a person under the age of twentyone years to take charge of a boiler, contrary to section 68 (1) of the Coal-mines Act. The case was dismissed. On the 6th March, for failure to provide a safety-lamp of a type for the time being approved of by the Minister (section 96 of the Coal-mines Act), a mine-manager was fined £1 with costs. On a second charge of failing to enter a report as to the condition of the mine, as provided bj' section 128 (2), the mine-manager, who also acted as examining deputy, was fined £1 and costs. On the 15th April, for failing to ensure that not less than 150 cubic feet of air per minute was provided for every person in the mine, as provided for by section 92 (1) of the Coal-mines Act, a manager was fined £1 with costs. On the 19th April a workman was injured by a prematurely fired shot. The deputy responsible for firing the shot was convicted for (1) failing to see that all persons in the vicinity had taken proper shelter; (2) failing to couple up the cable to the detonator as provided by Regulation 228 (4). A fine of 10s. with costs was imposed in each case. For failing to send to the Inspector of Mines half-yearly returns as provided by section 81 (1), two leaseholders were each fined 10s. with costs. On the Ist July a mine-manager was fined £5 and costs for failing to comply with section 91 (1) and (2) of the Coal-mines Act. The return air was found to contain more than 1 per cent, of carbon dioxide. On the Ist July, for failing to employ a fully qualified mine-manager in terms of section 61 (b) of the Coalmines Act, the owners of a coal-mine were fined £1 with costs. A second charge against the mine-manager for acting in that capacity while not being qualified to do so was withdrawn. On the Ist July, for failing to notify a serious accident as provided by section 145 (1) (b) and (s) of the Coal-mines Act, a mine-manager was fined 10s. with costs. On the 19th August, for failing to take tests of the dust-mixture from the floor, roof, and sides, as provided by Regulation 238 (3) (g), a mine-manager was fined £1 with costs. A second charge of failing to keep a record of samples was then withdrawn. On the 19th August, for failing to post notices specifying the manner in which the supports were to be set and advanced, as required by section 117 (3) of the Coal-mines Act, a mine-manager was fined £1 with costs. On the 23rd April three charges were laid against a mine-manager, who also acted as deputy of the mine— (1) for failing to meet the workmen at the appointed station and instruct them as to their places of work, as required by Regulation 96; (2) for failing to remain underground until the day's work was finished (Regulation 93); and (3) for failing to report in a book kept for the purpose the results of the morning's examination (section 128 (2) ). Convictions were secured in all three cases, the fines amounting to £4. On the 6th December a mine-manager was fined £1 with costs for failing to keep a record of the analyses of dust-mixtures taken from the floor, roof, and sides, as required by Regulation 238 (g). On the 6th December four convictions were recorded against a mine-manager, who also acted as examining deputy to three small mines: (1) For failing to appoint in writing a sufficient number of duly qualified officials in accordance with section 61 of the Coal-mines Act he was fined £1 with costs; (2) for failure to proceed to the appointed station to meet the workmen and instruct them as to their. places of work he Was fined £1 with costs; (3) for failure to keep records of samples of the dust-mixture from the floor, reef, and sides of two different mines, as provided by Regulation 238 (g), he was convicted in each case and ordered to pay costs.

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