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accidents which occurred this year were mainly due to the lack of skilled labour which is not available and in consequence the carelessness of the individual miner As the labour force becomes trained the number of accidents should decrease, but it should be kept in mind that mining, particularly underground, is a hazardous occupation at any time.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
I understand that the matter of royalty is still under consideration and that none has been paid to date. It is recommended that in future, a suitable advance is paid on removal of the concentrates from the mine, to be adjusted on receipt of assay value and sale receipts from Europe, as required by. the proposed regulations.
For the greater safety of persons employed at this particular mine, it is recom- mended that the management has the following code of rules printed in Chinese and posted at the mine oflice and at the portal of each adit which is in use.
Safety rules for native employees.
(i) Miners are recommended to wear crash helmets when working under-
ground. These are available at the mine office.
(ii) Level bosses shall report immediately to the timber boss, any timber or rock that may have become dislodged and which is in a dangerous position.
(iii) No person shall leave any timber, debris, waste rock or ore above the level of the sleepers on which the tram lines are laid, and the level boss shall be responsible that levels under his charge are kept clear.
(iv) No person shall ride on a truck.
(v) All trucks in motion shall have a light hung on the front of the body of
the truck.
(vi) No person may pull a truck, they must always be pushed, and the level boss shall be responsible that trucking is done only by experienced
truckers.
(vii) Stope bosses shall be responsible that all manways are kept clear and
that all ladders are securely fixed.
(viii) No person shall leave tools, timber or other articles in proximity to the top of any manway, winze or stope in such manner as to be likely to cause injury to persons below.
(ix) Stope bosses shall not permit any person to enter a working place until all loose rock has been barred down by a competent assistant under his supervision. Any loose rock on the roof or sides of a stope shall be immediately reported to the stope boss.
(x) The names of shot firers shall be registered at the mine office and only such shot firers shall carry out blasting operations or be in possession of explosives.
(xi) Before firing a charge the shot firer shall call out or give sufficient warning to any person in the vicinity and shall not permit any person to enter the working place until a period of 30 minutes shall have elapsed from the time of lighting the fuses.
(xii) All blasting operations shall be carried out at stated and regular
intervals.
(xiii) Any person committing a breach of these rules shall be liable to a fine of 3 days' pay, double for a second offence and dismissal without fine for a third offence.
*Plan of the workings is attached marked D 1, 2.
*Not Printed.
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(iv) NEW TERRITORIES MINING Co., LTD.
One square mile held under lease at Ma On Shan for a period of 50 years. An outcrop of magnetite iron ore is being mined on the quarry system by 120 contract coolies under Chinese management. Approximately 8,000 tons have been produced since 1931 and royalty amounting to $3,600 has been paid up to February, 1938. Production is regulated according to demand and the whole of the output is being sold at present to the Green Island Cement Co. at $10.50 per ton, the cost of pro- duction, transport and royalty being $8.00 per ton. Owing to the limited time at my disposal, I was unable to visit the mine. After some trouble I located and visited the Company's office where there was no responsible person in charge at the time, and it was only at the last moment that I managed to interview the Chinese managing director. According to him, there has been no fatal accident since the mine opened up seven years ago, so it would appear that mining operations are being controlled in a satisfactory manner under the Chinese manager.
لله
END
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