82 COALFIELDS AND COLLIERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 



rate, in order to compensate for the extra work of breaking 

 coal down from the sides, which for the same tonnage occurs 

 more frequently than in wide places. The amount of yardage 

 paid varies according as the width is from to 9ft., 9 to 12ft., 

 12 to 15ft., or 15 to 18ft. 



No deduction is made for moisture in the coal, this being 

 weighed as coal and credited to the miner. It is reckoned that 

 if there is only a little water present it is as cheap to fill it 

 out with the coal as to employ a bailer to remove it. In such 

 cases it is as well not to have the skips close fitting, 

 otherwise too much water may find its way in, and be retained 

 by the skip. It is not much use drilling a hole or two in the 

 bottom of a skip, as these can be plugged up with bark, 

 paper, etc. 



Machine-mined coal is filled into skips by special fillers, 

 for to take men from the machine would lay the machine 

 idle, and be putting highly paid men to do inferior work; 

 besides the output would be reduced, and the capital expended 

 on the machine and plant would be lying idle. Hand-mined 

 coal is filled into skips by miners. The top of the skip is 

 packed all round with large pieces of coal, which are not so 

 likely to fall when done by a practical miner as when done 

 by an inexperienced hand. When the top falls oft' through 

 bad packing, the miner is not credited with the full amount 

 originally placed on the skip, but if, through some accident, 

 such as a capsize, the coal falls out, this is known as a 

 "copt." "upset," or "broken skip," the wheeler in charge 

 should mark it, and report it to the flatter, who initials it, or 

 places a special token on it, so that when it reaches the 

 surface the weighman, knowing it is no fault of the miner, 

 credits him with the average of other skips sent up by him. 

 In low places a skip cannojb be loaded so full as where there is 

 no restriction in height. Each skip is marked with a token. 

 This consists of a small piece of leather, threaded on to a 

 long loop of marline. The loop is passed through two small 

 holes in the end or side of a skip, and the leather tag passed 

 through the loop and pulled tight. When the skip is full 

 of coal the token can be readily pulled out, but cannot be 

 replaced without partly unloading and reloading again, and 

 as this cannot be easily done while the skip is in transit, the 

 chance of one man stealing a skip load belonging to another 

 is minimised. However, sometimes a man runs short of tokens, 

 in which case he chalks his number on the skip. This custom 

 has its disadvantages, for it enables an unscruplous man to 

 draw out the token of another and substitute his own chalk 

 mark. To prevent this, the token is sometimes hung inside 

 tJ>> ;\kip, with a lump of coal against it, and more on the top; 



