PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. ]Ixxxill 
The Provinee, for the purpose of the Board, has been divided into 
three districts —Cumberland, Pictou, and Cape Breton. From each of 
these districts are appointed two men representing respectively the 
companies and the workmen, and a third, as far as possible, a mining 
engineer not interested in the operations of any company. The Inspector 
of Mines acts as Secretary and the representative of the Government on 
the Board. The questions are prepared by the Board at a full. meeting ; 
the examinations held simultaneously by the local divisions of the Board ; 
and the answers considered at a full meeting of the Board. 
It was soon found that many candidates were deficient in surveying 
and the knowledge of arithmetic, logarithms, geometry, etc., necessary 
for the solution of the problems of ventilation, ete. The most intelli- 
gent of the successful candidates, in many cases men who had unaided 
made themselves masters of these subjects, were appointed instructors 
for the candidates. In this way an annual course, some months in 
length, has been established at the principal collieries, about ten instrue 
tors being employed. The expenses of these schools are met by the 
Mines Department, and each teacher receives a fixed fee, contingent 
upon his presenting at least two candidates, in addition to a fee for each 
candidate that passes a successful examination. 
The first certificate of competency was issued March 15th, 1883, and 
since that date 121 certificates have been issued to underground 
managers, 146 certificates to overmen, in addition to 32 certificates of 
service to those holding these positions at the time the law came into 
force. This system has established an ample supply of men for our 
own collieries, and those leaving our shores find their certificates a good 
passport to respectable positions abroad. The conditions of admission 
for a candidate are that he be at least twenty-one years of age, of good 
reputation, and have been employed at least five years underground. 
The readiness and precision of the answers of many of the candidates 
wouid do credit to examinations of a much more pretentious character. 
t was finally decided that the provisions of the act should be 
extended to mine managers, and the powers of the Board were amplified. 
In all 41 certificates have been issued to managers. Quite a number of 
those holding manager’s certificates are working miners who have 
successively passed the different examinations, one after the other, with 
intervals required to attain the additional knowledge. In one instance 
a foreigner, unable to speak or write in the English language when he 
