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Prosecutions Under Coal-mines Act, 1925 On 20th January, 1949, a mine-manager was charged with breaches of shot-firing regulations. 'The charges were laid under Regulation 225 (4), 226 (b), and 226 (c) of the Coal-mines Regulations 1939. The charges under Regulations 225 (4) and 226 (c) were withdrawn and the charge under Regulation 226 (b) was proceeded with, the charge being that he did employ unqualified persons as •shot-firers in the stone drive of his colliery. A plea of guilty was entered, and a conviction and fine of £1 with costs 10s. recorded. On 20th January, 1949, two workmen were charged with breaches of shot-firing regulations. The charges were laid under Regulations 225 (4) and 226 (c), Coal-mines Regulations 1939. The charges mnder Regulation 226 (c) were withdrawn in each case and the hearing proceeded with under Regulation 225 (4), the charge in each case being that an unauthorized person did fire shots electrically in the •colliery. Conviction and fine of £1 with 10s. costs were recorded in each case. On 16th March, 1949, a trucker was charged under section 144, Coal-mines Act, 1925, that being a person employed in the mine as a jig operator did negligently omit to take reasonable precautions to see that the jig was clear and allowed a full box to go over the jig. A conviction and fine of £1 and 10s. costs were recorded. On 14th June, 1949, a colliery proprietor was charged with breaches of sections 145 (1) (b) and ■59 (4), Coal-mines Act, 1925. The defendant was fined £2 on each of the charges. SOUTHERN INSPECTION DISTRICT (G. Smith, Inspector of Coal-mines) Canterbury District All mines in this district, with the exception of Klondyke, are operating with 8 men or less, and the managers of all but three of the mines are the holders of deputies' certificates or permits. Acheron No. 1 Mine (Anthracite), (T. J. Todd (Deputy) Manager).—Development has been to the dip with levels to the south ; a dolerite zone encroaching from the north requiring the dip roadway to be deflected some 40 degrees to the south. The seam in the lowest level is 9 ft. in thickness of good-quality anthracite, but a section of barren ground to the south limits development in these levels to 7 chains. Prospecting to the south, by driving and boring from the face of Level No. 4, proved fruitless .and dip extension cannot go much farther owing to the igneous intrusion to the north. With the wash-out to the south gradually narrowing the area, extraction of the pillars must soon commence. Acheron No. 2 Mine (Anthracite), (J. W. Marsh (Deputy), Manager).—This small block, with a ;seam 7 ft. in thickness of good-quality anthracite, was fully developed early in the year. Pillaring has commenced and has given good results, but the life of the present miners very limited. Bonanza Mine (D. McQueen (Deputy), Manager).—Development of an intermittent nature continued with a pair of levels, the seam being 6 ft. in thickness and at an inclination of 25 degrees, with roof fairly good and the coal of excellent quality. The area to the rise of the adit is small and this drive has reached outcrop after being projected through the knoll. Pillaring from this point recently commenced. As the road boundary is adjacent to and parallel with the adit, the area to the dip is limited to a strip 4 chains wide and the life of the mine, even with its small output, is short. Victor Mine (V. L. Davies) (Deputy), Manager).—Dip development and the opening-out of a further two levels has been undertaken. To the south-west the upper level at some 6 chains from the dip roadway encountered a split in the seam with 6 in. to 12 in. of very hard stone, and further development will be confined to the upper 6 ft. of the seam. Further dip extension should give adequate cover for the north-east levels to pass safely beneath the gully, and this will offset the stone intrusion encroaching from the south. The seam of approximately 10ft. in thickness is highly inclined—6o to 70 degrees—with the •coal generally of good quality, but the split referred to makes the coal beneath the stone band unprofitable to work, as the quality of this layer is poor. Malvern Mine (A. Taylor (Underviewer), Manager).—Development by extension of the new dip -at a grade of 1 in 3 continued on double shift until the lowest level of the old mine was struck. Meanwhile pillar-extraction with excellent results continued in the old mine in a section to the rise of the adit, the seam being almost vertical, 6 ft. in thickness and of hard quality, producing a high percentage of screened coal. During the year a 30 h.p. Diesel-driven, direct-current generator, 230 volts, and an electricallydriven winch and fan have been installed; while armoured cable and electric pump underground provide for drainage, the amount of water now that the old workings have been unwatered is small. This mine is being well developed and equipped, and within a few months should be able to increase, its output considerably. Manuka Point Mine.—This small concern, employing 2 men, ceased operations in July, after about three months' work in the first part of the year. The area available from the present adit is very limited, while the highly inclined seam, 4 ft. to 5 ft. in thickness, is of shaken coal adjacent to the outcrop, and the future of the mine is doubtful. Burnt Hill Mine (R. Rae (Permit), Manager).—A small concern of the Bush Gully class, it is unfortunate that the area is limited to a pair of levels 9 chains in length piercing a spur and restricted area to the rise, where the highly-inclined seam, 5 ft. in thickness, outcrops.

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