C—2

Alison Opencast Mine (W. N. Currie (First Class), Mine-manager).—Opencast operations were continued intermittently during the first half of the year, when 4,000 tons of coal were produced by 12 men. This opencast was situated on the eastern boundary of the present Alison No. 1 Mine. It is intended to resume operations at a later date from the Barker's Road area. Thompson's Opencast Area : Sixteen men were engaged on opencast operations in 15 ft. to 20 ft. of coal. This project is situate some 20 to 30 chains to the north-west of Alison No. 1 Mine. Thirtynine thousand six hundred and fifty-two tons were produced from April to the 31st December. Barkers Opencast Mine (T. Bigwood (Quarry Certificate), Mine-manager).—Eight men were engaged on opencast operations adjacent to Alison No. 1 Mine. The coal varied in thickness from 10 ft. to 23 ft. An output of 22,495 tons was produced during the year. Summit Coal-mining Party (A. Harloek (Deputy), Mine-manager).—Opencast operations were continued throughout the year for approximately 32,000 tons by 6 men. The ratio of overburden to v.oal averaged 3 to 1. Stripping was done by bulldozer and the coal loaded into motor-trucks by a J-yard petrol-driven digger. This mine is situated some 20 chains west of the present Rotowaro No. 1 Mine entrance and is an area on lease from the Taupiri Coal Mines. Olen Afton No. 1 Colliery (W. C. Inglis (First Class), Mine-manager).—Output from this mine was won almost entirely from pillar-extraction by pairs of miners in E2 and L Sections. Excessive roof pressure and floor heave in E2 Section did not permit of maximum extraction of pillars in this section and necessitated constant attention to repairs of timbering on roadways adjacent to the working faces. Despite these disadvantages it is pleasing to record that there were no signs or reports of spontaneous combustion for the year. Ninety-four men were employed underground and 91 on the surface. Olen Afton No. 2 (Mac Donald Colliery), (H. Stirling (First Class), Mine-manager).—Coal winning in this mine was chiefly from pillar-extraction in HI Left and H2 Right Panels, K Section, E Panel, and No. 4 Mine Rope End and Jig Sections, while some development work was continued in J, L, and C Sections. Development in C Section was continued towards K Section old workings, Glen Afton Mine, with a view to the extraction of several acres of coal in this area and with a view to providing an additional haulage road for the output from K Section. It was intended to effect some improvement to the ventilation by the erection of an air-crossing in the return airway 2 chains from the main fan. The present return airway from E Sections will then become an intake airway with a separate fan installed at the surface to ventilate these sections. Two hundred and thirty-five men were employed underground and 32 on the surface. WaiJcato Extended Opencast (Roose Shipping Co.), (E. Bond (Underviewer), Mine-manager).—The output was won from an area of opencast coal leased from the Taupiri Coal Co. Fourteen men were employed. Victory Kim (Devlin and Bell), Rotowaro. (H. Bell (Deputy), Mine-manager).—Output was won from development work by 6 men until April, when operations ceased, the mine being purchased by the Government. Kopuku Opencast Mine (Glen Afton Colleries, Ltd.), (M. Ralph (Underviewer), Mine-manager).— Eight men were employed opencasting 45 ft. to 50 ft. of coal. Overburden is stripped by bulldozers and carryalls and dumped to form a stop-bank against the water from the adjacent swamp and lake. After the removal of overburden the coal is mined in a series of lifts 15 ft. to 20 ft. high, depending on the nature and thickness of the seam. The coal is loaded by Diesel-driven digger of J-yard capacity on to a chain conveyor and thence on to the main belt conveyor, rising at a gradient of approximately lin4 to the bins at the roadside. From the mine the coal is transported a distance of some 16 miles to the railway at Pokeno. Clifton Collieries Ltd., Kopuku (G. E. Cunningham (Underviewer), Mine-manager).—Four men were employed underground and 1 on the surface. The output was won from development. The main dip heading encountered a downthrow fault approximately 4 chains from the surface. Lack of skilled miners considerably delayed the continuation of this heading through the faulted ground. Coal thickness in this mine reaches 30 ft. in two seams separated by 4 ft. to 8 ft. of soft clay. Huntly Brickworks. —No coal was produced during the year. Glen Afton Potteries Opencast (E. Anderton (Permit), Mine-manager).—Six men continued with opencast operations. Some 3,700 tons of coal were produced during the year from a seam 10 ft. thick. Te Pahu Colliery, Karamu.—Operations have ceased and the mine closed down. Daily's Mine, Hauturu. —No coal was produced during the year. Whatawhata Campbell Coal Co. (E. Kerry (Second Class), Mine-manager).—A small output was maintained by 5 miners in solid work to the west of the main dip haulage road. Working conditions were satisfactory in coal up to 12 ft. thick. All production from this mine is sold on the local market. Eight men were employed underground and 4 on the surface. Bangitoto Opencast Coal-mine (Hamilton and Harvey), Otorohanga (K. L. Harvey (Quarry Certificate), Mine-manager).—A small output was won by 2 men at the beginning of the year, but the lease was surrendered in March and operations ceased. Kimihia State Opencast Mine (J. Roberts (Quarry Certificate), Mine-manager).—All coal from this mine was won from No. 1 Area, which is now practically exhausted. Several hundred tons of coal remain in a small area bordering the railway siding at the screens. Stripping operations on No. 6

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