REPORTS OF ASSISTANT INSPECTORS UNDER THE MetallifeROUS MINES REGULATION ... ... ... ... ... ... 88 89 90 ... Mr. W. N. Atkinson's Report. Report on the Inspection of Mines and Quarries in the Cardiff and Swansea Districts, for the year ending 31st December, 1906. Bridgend, Glamorganshire, 30th March, 1907. SIR, In accordance with the provisions of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1887, the Metalliferous Mines Regulation Act, 1872, and the Quarries Act, 1894, I have the honour to report my proceedings during the past year. Until the end of July, 1906, I acted as inspector in charge of the Stafford district. You were then pleased to transfer me to South Wales to act as superintending inspector of the Cardiff and Swansea inspection districts, and to place Mr. Hugh Johnstone in charge of the Stafford district. In May last I received your instructions to accompany Mr. Cunynghame, Assistant Under Secretary of State, to Courrières Colliery, France, to investigate and report on the disastrous explosion which occurred, there on the 10th March, 1906. I made a second visit in June, and we presented our report on the 13th September last. In October, by your instructions, I accompanied Dr. Haldane, a member of the Royal Commission on Mines, and Mr. H. Hall, H.M. Inspector of Mines, to Westphalia, to inspect the system of watering dusty coal mines which is in force there, and to enquire respecting the use of rescue appliances in mines. As the result of our investigations we presented a short joint report to the Royal Commission on Mines. On the 14th November I gave evidence before the said Commission. Report on the Disaster which occurred at Courrières Mine, Pas du Calais, France, on March 10th, 1906. By H. Cunynghame, C.B., Assistant Under Secretary of State, Home Department, and W. N. Atkinson, one of H.M. Inspectors of Mines.-[Cd. 3171.] REPORT UNDER THE COAL MINES REGULATION ACTS. SECTION I. PERSONS EMPLOYED. Table No. 1 shows the number of mines worked, and the number of persons employed, divided according to age and sex, at mines under the Coal Mines Regulation Act, in the Cardiff and Swansea inspection districts, during the decennial period 1896– 1905, and the corresponding figures for the year 1906. No. of Mines at Work. Below-ground. Males. Ages Males. Females. Total Males and Above ground. During the earlier portion of the decennial period covered by this and the two following tables, part of the present Cardiff district was included in the south-western inspection district. The figures have been adjusted so as to make them properly comparable throughout the period covered by the tables. The above table shows that there has been a continuous increase in the number of persons employed, and last year there was an increase over the preceding year of 6,691 persons employed, which is a much larger increase than in any of the preceding years covered by the table. |