C.—2.

White Rose Mine, Merrijigs (Osborn's). —A small amount of pillar coal was won from this mine during the year. Remarks on Reefton Mines. —With the exception of the two larger mines, the work of winning coal continues to be carried on in a very primitive manner, without the aid of machinery for pumping, haulage, or screening. Buller District. Mitchell's Mine, Charleston.—2o tons of coal was won from opencast workings during the year. Price's Freehold, Brighton (leased to A. Hunter). —The work of coai-winning was abandoned during the year. Rocklands Mine, Buller Gorge (J. P. Burley).—A small amount of coal was obtained from the splitting of pillars in the rise section. Whitecliffs Mine, Buller Gorge (J. H. Burley).—Only a small amount of work was done at this mine during the year. Coal-winning operations consisted in the removing of side and top coal from the old drives. Goal Creek Mine, Seddonville. —This mine remained idle throughout the year. Quinn's Mine, Seddonville. —This mine has been closed. Glasgow Mine, Seddonville. —No development work was undertaken during the year. A small amount of coal was obtained from pillar-extraction. Cardiff Bridge Mine, Seddonville. —Only a few pillars now remain to be extracted at this mine. Prospecting operations have been carried out in the vicinity, but no tangible results have yet been obtained. Chester's Mine, Seddonville. —This mine remained closed throughout the year. Westport-Stateville Mine, Seddonville. —No work was done at this mine during the year. St. Helens Mine, Seddonville. —A small amount of coal was won from pillar-extraction. The mine remained idle for a considerable portion of the year. Charming Creek Mine, Ngakawau.—During the driving of the dip heading, to open up the field in the vicinity of the No. 5 Government borehole, the output was maintained by the continued extraction of pillars in the No. 1 south-east panel. Mining conditions in this section were favourable, and a complete extraction of the pillars was obtained. Following the installation of a small vertical 7 h.p. steam boiler and winch at the top of the return airshaft, a 3 in. steam pump was installed to allow the development of the dip area. Several small " rolls" were cut during the driving of the dip. During March, the No. 5 Government prospect shaft was reached. This formed a return airway with a consequent improvement in the ventilation of the mine. Two levels were driven from the bottom of the dip in a north and south direction. The coal throughout the dip workings is of good quality and varies from 10 ft. to 20 ft. in thickness. Main east level: A small amount of development was done in this section. A start was made to construct a return airway through a fault. The total length of driving to be done is 412 links. Weslportmain Mine, Granity (Westport-Granity Coal-mines, Ltd.). —A small amount of coal was won from prospecting operations at the head of the main jig. The mine has remained closed for the major portion of the year. Westport-Cascade Mine, Burnett's Face. —The work of extracting pillars in the section lying to the east of Cascade Creek is nearing completion. Proceeding east, the coal thins and becomes stony. Monyhan's section : An area 14 chains by 8 chains has been developed with pillars approximately 1 chain centres. The coal in this section is extremely thick and rises by means of a series of step-faults at a grade of 37 degrees. Very little cover overlies the seam at this point. Only the hardest of the coal is being removed, the remaining portions of the seam being unsaleable. Durkin's section (west of Cascade Creek) : The main level was driven on a bearing of 41 degrees for a distance of 5 chains and left standing in coal estimated to be 20 ft. in thickness. To the left of Durkin's Creek, a second level driven on a bearing of 308 degrees was stopped in gravel formation. Westport Coal Company, Limited, Denniston Mines.—Wareatea Mine, Denniston : A small amount of prospecting was carried on beyond the present workings of the Wareatea extended section and a number of outcrops of coal exposed. The country is badly broken up, but improves towards Mount Rochfort. Boring will be necessary to prove the extent of the coal. Wareatea-Coalbrookdale Mine—Openshaw's section : Eight pairs of men were engaged on pillarextraction at the beginning of the year, but owing to trade conditions and the nature of the coal, this number was reduced. Waterloo section : The main headings in this section were driven a distance of approximately 5 chains in a south-westerly direction when the coal thinned going to the rise. About sixteen pairs of colliers were engaged in solid workings in this section. Wareatea Extended Mine: Development work in this section was confined to a dip heading being driven in a north-westerly direction. Owing to the short time worked, difficulties in pumping, &c., progress has been very slow. Three pairs of colliers were engaged in solid workings, and twelve pairs of colliers were engaged on pillar-extraction. Cascade Mine : Pillar-extraction was continued in Wallace's section and old No. 9 section at the end of the Cascade haulage-rope. Seven pairs of miners were employed. Two places were worked double shift in an endeavour to straighten the line of pillar-extraction. Ironbridge Mine (Garing's dip) : Development is still being carried out in this section. Several small faults have been encountered and the seam split by a band of stone. The workings proceeding in a south-easterly direction were delayed by fallen ground and development carried out in a north-easterly direction. Nine pairs of miners were employed and electric safety-lamps are in use as a temporary measure. Deep Creek section : Twelve to sixteen pairs of miners were engaged in this section on solid work in the bottom seam. The coal is of good quality with soft bands intervening. The thickness of the seam is 14 ft. Pillar workings : Only a small percentage of pillar coal was won during the year. Bluff section : This section was sealed off owing to fumes percolating from the Kruger's fire area. A large number of stoppings were erected on both sides of the Ironbridge rope-road in an endeavour to prevent the fumes entering the mine workings. At a point on the rope-road known as the " Gentle Annie Steep " a concrete arch, 70 ft. long, was erected to support the roof and keep back the fire fumes. A small subsidiary haulage was installed in Garing's dip during the year. Westport Coal Company's Millerton Mine. —A further falling-off in sales resulted in the closing of additional sections of the Millerton Mine, the number of men employed being reduced to seventy-four. Towards the end of the year, the old dip section was closed. Coal-winning operations are now confined to the extraction of pillars in the middle section and the daily output of the mine reduced to approximately 250 tons. The work of erecting concrete stoppings in the formation of artificial panels within the mine has been continued throughout the year, Owing to the fire risk in the middle section, pillars are robbed instead of extracted. The work of recovering the top coal is proving difficult. Props up to 25 ft. in length are now used in the Millerton Mine to support the roof in the working-places. Ventilation : The return airways have been reconditioned and an additional return airway provided from the middle section for use in case of emergency. Only one heating occurred in the Millerton Mine during the year. This was successfully dealt with. Westport-Stockton Coal Co., Ltd., Ngakawau.—Mining operations during the year were chiefly confined to pillarextraction in the old east, old west, and west dip areas. Pillar-extraction was maintained in a straight line, results having proved satisfactory in the past. Solid working was confined solely to the new east area, the south-westerly headings having been advanced a further distance of 10 chains in coal of good quality. The haulage unit in this area has also been extended to deal with larger output if required. The power plant has been maintained in reasonable order. Several of the sub-stations have been overhauled and renewals, repairs, &c., were effected to the transmission-lines, locomotives, and loco.-track. Nelson District. Puponga Colliery, Puponga.—On the western outcrop the dip drive was advanced a distance of chains to the fault. A small block of coal from 4to 6 chains in width and 10 to 12 chains in length lying between two faults, has been developed, the coal averaging from 4 ft. to 5 ft. 3 in. in thickness. From the eastern outcrop four levels were driven in a westerly direction. To the south of the present workings, a small section known as " Murphy's section "

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