THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 957

dilute and render harmless noxious gases to such an
extent that the working-places of the shafts, levels,
stables, and workings of the mine, and the travelling
roads to and from such working-places, shall, so far as
is reasonably practicable, be in a fit state for working
and passing therein.
5. The manager shall see that an ample supply of
timber, props, sprags, bricks, lime, sand, ropes,
brattice-cloth, and other requisite materials are
always on the premises, and the underviewer shall see
that the same are distributed, and also report any
deficiency. The underviewer or his deputy shall see
that the roof and the sides in all working-places are
properly secured by the persons working in them,
and that the roof and sides of every travelling road
be made and kept secure. The underviewer or his
deputy shall visit every working-place as often as is
practicable during each shift.

Underviewer.

6. The underviewer, whenever practicable, must
   personally attend to the matters and duties required
   by the following rules; and the performance and ob-
   servance of such matters and duties shall not be in-
   trusted to a deputy, except in cases in which the
   underviewer cannot reasonably perform them, or
   during his lawful absence. In these cases he may
   require his deputy or deputies to act for him, and
   they shall be bound to do and perform all acts,
   matters, and duties deputed to him or them by the
   underviewer according to these rules.
7. The underviewer shall not make nor allow any
   change to be made in the direction of the ventilation
   of the mine, when any person is in the mine, beyond
   the place where such change is proposed; and he
   shall, where practicable, cause the stables to be venti-
   lated into the return air from the mine.
8. The underviewer or his deputy shall inspect
   daily the doors in the main air-ways, and see that they
   are checked or doubled. No door must be propped
   or fastened back whilst on its hinges. The under-
   viewer must appoint doorkeepers whenever necessary.
   Doors only used occasionally by the underviewer or
   his deputy must be kept securely locked, and only
   opened by properly-authorized persons. All doors
   must be kept in good repair, and hung so that they
   will fall-to of themselves.
9. Where a place is likely to contain a dangerous
   accumulation of water the underviewer, acting under
   the manager's instructions, shall see that the working
   approaching such place does not exceed eight feet in
   width, and that there is constantly kept at a suffi-
   cient distance, not being less than five yards in
   advance, at least one bore-hole near the centre of the
   working, and sufficient flank bore-holes on each side.
10. The underviewer or his deputy shall see that
    the air-ways and air-crossings are kept properly
    opened, and shall travel through the air-ways at
    least once a week; and shall see that the regulators,
    tight-stoppings, doors, sheets, brattices, and danger-
    signals are immediately put where required. He
    shall see that the ventilating furnaces and other
    ventilating apparatus are properly attended to.
    The underviewer or his deputy must remain under-
    ground until the day's work is finished, and see that
    the doors and sheets are closed, and all the men and
    boys are out of the mine.
11. The underviewer shall see that all the provi-
    sions contained in this Act as to the employment of
    boys and male young persons are strictly enforced.
12. The underviewer, acting under the direction
    of the manager, shall see that all places not in
    actual use are properly fenced across the whole
    width, so as to prevent persons inadvertently enter-
    ing the same.
13. The underviewer shall see that all the provi-

sions contained in the Act and in these special rules
relating to the use of gunpowder and other ex-
plosive substances used in the mine are strictly
enforced.
14. The underviewer or his deputy shall see that
proper man-holes and signals which are made or
provided are kept in good order, according to the
provisions of the Act.
15. The underviewer shall see that the timber is
properly distributed, that there is sufficient, and that
it is used when necessary for security.
16. The underviewer shall withdraw men from
working-places which are in any way unsafe, and
shall report the same.

Colliers.

17. Every collier shall, under the direction of the
    underviewer or his deputy, set a sufficient quantity
    of props and bars for safely supporting the roof and
    sides in his working-place. The timber shall be
    properly set, and be removed and renewed as often
    as is necessary.
18. No collier shall use or allow to be used any
    gunpowder, except in conformity with the general
    rules for its use.
19. In addition to the examination by the under-
    viewer, or other officer, each work-person must ex-
    amine his working-place before commencing work,
    and from time to time during his shift, and withdraw
    his men in case of danger.
20. Any person discovering any stoppage or de-
    rangement of the ventilation, injury to air-crossings,
    doors, stoppings, brattices, or air-pipes, or observing
    any obstruction in an air-course, a weakness in the
    roof, or deficiency of timber, weight on the stalls, or
    accumulation of gas or water, shall immediately give
    notice to the men and boys in that part of the mine,
    and to the underviewer or his deputy.
21. Any person passing through a door must in-
    stantly close it; and no person shall injure a door or
    leave it open, break down or interfere with a stop-
    ping or a brattice, obstruct or damage an air-course,
    air-crossing, or air-pipe, or remove a caution-board
    or danger-signal, or do anything to interfere with the
    proper working of the mine, without an order from
    the underviewer or his deputy.
22. No person shall leave any light or any gun-
    powder in any part of the mine when leaving his
    work.
23. Shots must be rammed with soft material not
    likely to strike fire.
24. No person shall fire shots without authority
    from the underviewer.
25. When a shot has missed fire it shall not be
    unrammed, but shall be reported to the underviewer
    or his deputy, and the place shall not be approached
    without the permission of the underviewer or his
    deputy.
26. The furnaceman shall constantly keep clean
    brisk fires; ashes shall not be allowed to accumulate
    upon or under the bars, but when cold they must be
    removed.

The following special rules shall be in force in
any mine in which explosive gas has been found :--
27. The manager shall appoint a competent person
or persons, who shall examine every safety-lamp,
immediately before it is taken into the workings for
use, and ascertain it to be secure and securely locked;
and, in any part of a mine in which the safety-lamps
are so required to be used, they shall not be used
until they have been so examined and found secure,
and securely locked, and shall not without due
authority be unlocked; and in the said part of the
mine a person shall not, unless he is appointed for
the purpose, have in his possession any key or con.