91

D.—l

Rec4istration of Electrical Wibemen. During the year the administration of the Electrical Wiremen's Registration Act, 1925, has occasioned a large amount of work, and up to the end of July, 1927, there have been registered 192 Inspectors of Electrical Wiring and 2,260 electrical wiremen. In addition to these registrations, 400 provisional licenses have been issued. Examinations were held in October, 1926, and April, 1927. At the October examination there were 167 candidates for the written part and 171 for the practical part, those passing being 110 (66 per cent.) and 133 (77 per cent.) respectively. At the April examination there were 239 candidates for the written part and 231 for the practical part, those passing being 136 (57 per cent.) and 164 (71 per cent.) respectively. The highest marks obtainable for each part of the examination is 100, and at the October examination the highest marks obtained were 91 for the written part and 94 for the practical part; the highest marks at the April examination being 86 for the written part and 91 for the practical part. The following table gives a summary of the results for the various centres : —

The tendency of the Board will be to consistently raise the standard of future examinations to ensure that candidates passing have a good technical knowledge as well as being competent of maintaining a high grade of workmanship. There have been three appeals against the decision of the Board under section 23 of the Act, the Board's decision being upheld in two of the appeals. The third case was lost solely oil account of the appellant not having furnished information with his original application for registration, which he subsequently produced in the Appeal Court, and was then accepted by the Board as sufficient evidence for the purposes of registration. An amendment to the Act was passed in 1926 to provide, in the case of those wiremen who have not previously had an opportunity to apply, a temporary permit to work pending the Board's decision with reference to their application ; to provide for the removal from the Register of Inspectors of Electrical Wiring of the name of any Inspector when he ceases to be so employed by the supply authority who appointed him ; and to provide against any person acting as an Inspector of Electrical Wiring when not employed as such. Eight prosecutions for working contrary to the Act have been taken, and others are pending. Fines and costs totalling £52 Bs. 6d. were imposed in the above cases. Although the Act came into operation on the Ist April, 1926, applications for registration are still being received from wiremen who have been working, since that date, contrary to the Act, and there is no doubt that the Act is being evaded by persons who are not registered or licensed, and by the employment of apprentices without supervision. To remedy this the active co-operation of all electrical-supply authorities is required, and periodical inspection of all certificates is necessary to ascertain not only that the person carrying out the work is in possession of a certificate, but that the certificate is actually made out in his name. Breaches of the Act and bad work are at any time difficult for the Board to detect and prove, and it is unlikely that any great improvement will be forthcoming unless supply authorities come forward willingly with evidence to support any action proposed against offenders. It is to be regretted that this assistance has not always been forthcoming when sought by the Board.

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