Aug. 25.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1125

stoppings and brattices connected with the same, and cause remedies to be provided immediately for all defects that may be found on such examination.

9. The underviewer, whenever practicable, must personally attend to the matters and duties required by the following rules; and the performance and observance of such matters and duties shall not be intrusted 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. The authority for deputy to act for underviewer must be in writing.

10. A safety-lamp shall be used in making all such examinations as aforesaid.

11. He shall see that a sufficient quantity of timber for props and other purposes is daily supplied to the workmen, and cause the same to be cut in proper lengths and laid down in the working-places, it being the earnest desire of the company that every proper protection shall be afforded to the lives of the workmen. He shall see that all the roads and tramways throughout the mine are kept in a safe and workable state.

12. He shall give all necessary instructions to the men or boys in the mine respecting their work, and shall see daily that these rules are duly observed.

13. He shall daily make a correct entry of the readings of the barometer and thermometer in the mine register, and shall use additional care with the ventilating apparatus and examination of the works during any unusual indications.

14. The underviewer, under the direction of the manager, shall see that locked safety-lamps are used, and naked lights excluded wheresoever and whensoever danger from fire-damp is apprehended, and shall see that proper caution-boards or signals are placed and maintained for the purpose. He shall also examine the lamps, and shall immediately withdraw any that he may find unsafe. 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.

15. 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 ventilated into the return air from the mine.

16. 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 underviewer 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-authorised persons. All doors must be kept in good repair, and hung so that they will close automatically.

17. 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 underground 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.

18. 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 entering the same.

19. The underviewer shall see that all the provisions contained in the Act and in these special rules relating to the use of gunpowder and other explosive substances used in the mine are strictly enforced.

20. 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.

21. The underviewer shall withdraw men from working-places which are in any way unsafe, and shall report the same.

Firemen and Deputies.

22. The manager shall appoint one or more competent persons to act as firemen or deputies of the mine.

23. In making the examinations provided for by the foregoing rules the fireman shall mark with chalk the day of the month upon the face of each working-place, as 1, 5, 10, 25, or other numbers, as the case may be. He shall pay particular attention to the edges of the goaves and the gate-end lips. He shall be careful to ascertain that every part of the mine and roadways so to be examined are free from fire-damp, choke-damp, or other impurities, and are safe for workmen to enter and work therein; and, in case fire-damp or other impure air shall be discovered in any working-place, road,

or level, the fireman shall, in the first instance, thoroughly clear the same of such impurity if that can be done easily, and shall thereupon report to the miners and other workmen that the same are safe; but, if the impurity cannot be readily or at once cleared out, the miners and workmen shall not be permitted to enter such working-places, roads, or levels until the impure air shall have been, by further appliances, entirely dispelled. He shall prevent miners or other workmen entering the roads or working-places until a report shall have been made that they are safe, and shall see that proper caution-boards are put up when necessary. If no fire-damp, choke-damp, or other impurity shall be discovered or suspected to remain after such inspection, the fireman shall so report to the miners and workmen, and allow them to proceed to work, and shall thereupon without delay enter such report in the mine register.

24. If, from any cause, the operations of the mine shall have been discontinued for an unusual length of time and thereafter resumed, no workman shall be allowed to enter the mine until the manager or fireman shall have first entered and reported on the state of the workings; and in discharging this duty the manager or fireman must proceed with great caution, and shall not go further into the workings than he, from his own experience, shall deem safe; and, in case there are reasonable grounds for apprehending the presence of impure air, he shall return to the mine-mouth and remain there until precautionary measures shall have been applied to restore the proper ventilation of the mine.

25. He shall report to the Manager—
    (a.) Any deficiency in the amount of ventilation;
    (b.) Any violation by workmen of the rule as to entering the mine before inspection;
    (c.) Any use or attempted use of gunpowder or other blasting material without permission;
    (d.) Any damage done to fences, signals, or marks in the mine.
    (e.) Fireman shall fire all shots, unless he has written permission from the manager to depute the duty to another person.

Roadsmen.

26. The roadsmen, in their different divisions and shifts, shall daily make careful inspection of the whole drawing-roads and headings from the mine-mouth and throughout the mine, and shall keep the same free of all obstructions, and of the fixed height and width necessary for proper passage and ventilation.

27. They shall repair and remedy all damages and defects in the roads, and shall examine, put, and keep in proper condition all trap-doors and sheets, and shall see and enforce that the same be kept close, and, wherever practicable, shall make and keep all trap-doors self-acting.

28. They shall report daily to the mine manager at the termination of each shift. They shall also report daily to the mine manager any instance of neglect on the part of the miners in not carrying on their coal-faces or walls in accordance with the plan pursued in working the mine, or in not propping up and securing the roof in those parts of the workings under their care.

29. As removing falls from the roofs of drawing-roadways and air-courses, repairing defects, and supporting loose strata are within the roadsmen’s duties, and as they are charged with the maintenance of all drawing-roads and passages in the mine, they are enjoined to proceed with the greatest caution, both for their own safety and the successful execution of their duties. In their operations they must exercise the greatest care, and are required to prevent all other workmen coming near any defective places, or interfering with them when at work. They are required to undertake no repairs of unusual magnitude or danger without sufficient assistance, and until provided with every necessary material, which will be supplied to them by the company on application to the mine manager.

Miners and Workmen.

30. Every workman now or hereafter employed in any of the company’s works or workings, whether on surface or underground, shall be subject to these rules, and shall obey the commands or instructions of the manager, or of the underviewer, if any, in charge of the mine or part of the mine in which he is working.

31. Miners and other workmen are expressly forbidden to proceed towards or into their working-places at the commencement of any shift until it shall have been intimated to them by the fireman that the travelling-roads and working-places have been examined and are apparently safe to enter.

32. Till such intimation of apparent safety shall have been made, miners and workmen shall either remain at the pit-head or mouth of the mine, or at some other place assigned to them for the purpose. If no such place shall have been assigned at which to remain, they shall always understand that the pit-head or mine-mouth, whichever it may in their case be, is the proper place at which they are required to wait the requisite intimation.