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APPENDIX B REPORTS RELATING TO THE INSPECTION OF COAL-MINES The Inspecting Engineer and Chief Inspector of Coal-mines, to the UnderSecretary of Mines. Wellington, sth July, 1948. Sir, — I have the honour to present my annual report on the coal-mining industry of New Zealand for the year ended 31st December, 1947. OUTPUT The total output for the year was 2,751,725 tons, a decrease of 42,145 tons on the 1946 production.

The decreases in the respective districts were : Northern District, 629 tons; West Coast District, 1,577 tons ; Southern District, 39,939 tons. The statement shows the tons of coal raised, men employed, and lives lost by accidents in and about colleries to 1947 :

ACCIDENTS Serious and fatal accidents at coal-mines during 1947 were as follows :

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Output, in Persons ordinarily employed. Lives lost by Accidents in or about Collieries. Y ear. Statute Tons. Above Ground. Below Ground. Total. Per Million Tons produced. Per Thousand Persons employed. Number of Lives lost. Prior to 1941 95,336,168 526 1941 2,639,507 1,358 3,633 4,991 1-51 0-80 4 1942 2,680,041 1,338 3,659 4,997 2-24 1-20 6 1943 2,787,868 1,375 3,999 5,374 2-87 1-50 81944 2,805,970 1,637 3,958 5,595 4-28 2-14 12 1945 2,833,576 1,660 3,932 5,592 2-12 1-07 6 1946 2,793,870 1,738 3,819 5,557 1-43 0-72 4 1947 2,751,725 1,703 3,739 5,442 1-43 0-73 4 Totals 114,628,725 570

Fatal Accidents. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. Number of Persons Number of Number of Injured, including Separate Fatal Number of Separate Non-fatal those injured byAccidents. Deaths. Accidents. Accidents which proved Fatal to their Companions. Carbon-monoxide poisoning 1 1 Other gases 1 i Explosions, fire-damp, or coal-dust .. Falls of ground or timber 2 2 ii i2 Explosives I 1 Haulage 14 14 Electrical 1 i Miscellaneous—Underground 5 5 Surface 8 8 Totals 4 4 40 41