The Short Title of this Act is “The Coal-mines Act Amendment Act, 1901”; and it shall form part of and be read together with “The Coal-mines Act, 1891” (hereinafter referred to as “the principal Act”).

Notwithstanding anything in subsection three of section eleven of the principal Act, in all leases granted under that Act after the commencement of this Act there shall be reserved a royalty of not less than twopence nor more than one shilling per ton on the output of all marketable coal raised under the powers of the lease; and such royalty shall not be payable on any unsaleable waste coal or rubbish.

The provisions of this section relating to unsaleable waste coal or rubbish shall also apply in the case of all existing leases.

In the case of the lease of the Mokihinui Mine, dated the twenty-fifth day of September, one thousand nine hundred, which is granted to co-operative miners, royalty shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of this section.

Where workmen are employed in a mine, or any of the workmen so employed are members of a society formed in connection with the coal-mining industry, and registered under “The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1900,” as an industrial union of workers, such workmen or society may, at their own cost, appoint any two persons to inspect the mine, whether such persons are employed in the mine to be inspected or not.

The persons so appointed shall have full liberty to visit and inspect every part of the mine, its machinery and workings, once at least in every month.

The mine-owner and mine-manager may accompany the persons so appointed in their inspection, and shall give them full and free facilities for the inspection.

The persons so appointed shall make a full and faithful report in writing of the result of their inspection, which report shall be signed by them, and they shall furnish a copy thereof to the owner or manager of the mine, who shall cause the same to be recorded in a book kept at the office of the mine.

Such book shall, at all reasonable times, be open to the inspection of any Inspector under the principal Act, or workmen employed in the mine, or officer of the said society, who may take copies of or extracts from the reports recorded therein.

This section is in substitution of subsection forty-six of section thirty-three of the principal Act, which subsection is accordingly hereby repealed.

The contribution payable to the Sick and Accident Fund by the owner of a coal-mine under section sixty-nine of the principal Act shall be calculated at the rate of one halfpenny per ton on all coal, except brown coal and lignite, sold during the preceding three months, and one farthing per ton on all brown coal and lignite sold during the same period.

Every lease granted under the principal Act shall be signed by the Governor for and on behalf of His Majesty the King; but no such lease shall be granted until the application therefor has been twice advertised at an interval of one week in some newspaper circulating in the district.

Subject to the provisions of the Act, a miner shall not be employed underground for a longer period in any day than eight hours, exclusive of meal-times.

Such period of eight hours shall be deemed to commence from the time the miner enters the mine, and to finish when he leaves the mine.

The prescribed number of working-hours may from time to time be exceeded, but on every such occasion wages shall be paid for such extended hours at not less than one-fourth as much again as the ordinary rate.

Where in any award of the Court of Arbitration under “The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1900,” made prior to the commencement of this Act provision is made limiting or extending the working-hours of miners working underground in any mine, or providing for the payment of overtime, this section shall, in respect to such mine, and so long as such award continues in force, be read and construed subject to such award.