C—2a

Grey District The Liverpool Colliery showed an increase in output with no substantial variation in conditions. Requisite survey work for the opening of a new mine at Rewanui has been carried out and plant is being assembled so that development work may be commenced. At the Strongman Mine there was a reduction in output compared with the previous year, due mainly to the reduction in the number of days worked. Underground conditions remained unchanged, good-quality coal being won with a persistence of faults requiring costly stone driving and regrading of haulage roadways. Further development at the Blackball Mine has been carried out in good-quality coal and output showed an increase, with an improved daily output and a commendable record of steady work. New coal-cutters and boring-machines came to hand a short time ago and are now in operation. There has been no variation in the working conditions at the Wallsend Colliery, where operations are almost wholly pillar-extraction. Boring is about to commence on an adjoining area, and a decision on the question of dewatering the old Tyneside Mine will be made as soon as the results of drilling operations are available. Output showed a slight increase. A further increase in output was obtained from the Dobson Mine, in which all workings were on development work. The problem of providing an improved power supply underground is being examined. A steady output was obtained from the Paparoa Mine, where work has been carried out in a very satisfactory manner. A new sawmill was established near to the Roa Township and has maintained supplies of timber to the State mines in the district on an economical basis. Ohai District An improved underground haulage system was completed at the Mossbank Mine, where coal-winning operations were all on pillar-extraction, a steady output being maintained. Development was continued in the Wairaki No. 3 Mine in good-quality coal, and with fairly regular working a slightly increased output was recorded. In the Star Mine pillar-extraction was continued, operations being interfered with early in the year by a severe, heating in Magee's Dip necessitating the erection of eleven stoppings. At the Birchwood Mine drilling operations established the existence of a large area of coal which could not be won economically or efficiently from the present mine. A decision was therefore made to retreat from the existing mine and extract as much coalas possible, notwithstanding that lack of pit room and haulages preclude economic production. OPENCAST OPERATIONS Waikato District Steady production was maintained from Kemp's area, from which only a relatively small quantity of coal remains to be won. The ratio of overburden to coal at this pit is roughly 10 to 1, and, although the financial accounts show an operative loss, it is significant that the cost of production is less'than the best underground mine in the Waikato district. Operations have commenced at the Hillcrest area, where the overburden ratio is about 6to 1. This block contains only 60,000 tons of coal. The No. 1 TCimihia. (Lake) area is nearing exhaustion, and the No. 5 area, containing 527,000 tons at an overburden ratio of stol, is being developed to take its place. The difficulties of winning coal from below the bed of the lake have been overcome and production has been secured on a profitable basis.

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