95

D.—l

Town Districts (4). Havelock North Kaponga Mangaweka Te Puke. County Councils (8). Halswell Heathcote Kowai Kaikoura Murchison Rangiora Ua.wa Waimairi, Companies (15). J. D. Barry, Tokomaru Hawera Reefton Westport, - Stockton Coal Blackball Coal Co. Kanieri Tai Tapu Co. Farmers' Co-operative New Zealand D.airy Co., Union Steamship Co., Co., Tokomaru Frankton Port Chalmers Farmers' Freezing Co., Otago Harbour Board Waimea Tokomaru .1. F. Pettie, Waipiro Westport Coal Co. Licenses issued (Electrtc-line and Water-power). Licenses from September, 1927, to July, 1928, were issued to the following : Blackball Coal Co. ; Wellington City Council (amendment) ; Kaitangata Coal Co. (amendment) ; South Taranaki Power Board ; New Plymouth Borough Council (amendment) ; John Thompson, Queenstown ; Eltham Dairy Factory Co. ; Waitemata Power Board (Devonport area) ; John Alfred. Potham, Wairoa ; Marlborough Power Board (purchase of Havelock plant) ; Union Steamship Co., Port Chalmers ; Waimairi County Council (amendment) ; Wanganui-Rangitikei Power Board (extensions and purchase of Waverley plant) ; North Canterbury Power Board ; Hikurangi Coal Co. (extensions); Hawke's Bay Power Board (Taradale) ; Golden Bay Power Board. Approval Board. The setting-up of an Approval Board being closely allied with the administration of the regulations, steps have now been taken to draft the necessary legislative enactment. The proposed Act will contain provisions primarily for prohibiting the sale and use of electrical appliances which are dangerous, and will also contain provision for the issuing of approval of electrical appliances, so that the public may have the assurance that apparatus purchased is safe and in conformity with the regulations. The constitution of the proposed Board will be such as to provide representation for all interests concerned. B.egtstratton op Electrical Wtremen. The, Electrical Wiremen's Registration Act has been in operation since the Ist April, 1926 (i.e., two years and three months), and although the administration of the Act during the year occasioned a largo amount of work it is now settling down to routine. ' To the end of June, 1928, there have been registered 264 Inspectors of Electrical Wiring and 2,619 electrical wiremen, an increase of 72 Inspectors and 359 electrical wiremen since July, 1927. In addition to the above registrations, 182 provisional licenses were issued between the Ist July, 1927, and the 30th June, 1928, Of the 2,619 electrical wiremen registered, 406 have been registered after passing the Registration Board's examination. The work under the Act will in future, now that the wiremen who were working at the time the Act came into force have been registered, consist mainly of the examination of apprentices, the receipt of reports of bad workmanship, and reports of breaches of the Act. It is, however, anticipated that action for breaches of the Act will be taken more by the electrical-supply authorities, and thus avoid the delay which must result from centralization in this matter. Valuable experience has been gained in laying out the information necessary for a, successful prosecution, and the services of the Board are available to supply authorities when taking their first prosecutions. The number of reports of bad workmanship and reports of breaches of the Act received during the year indicates that the supply authorities and their Inspectors are becoming more conversant with the Act and that they are co-operating with the Registration Board in enforcing it. The Act is operating very well, and there is no doubt that the standard of workmanship is steadily improving. It is anticipated the. action being taken by the Board in the cases of reports of bad workmanship will have a good effect. The number of endorsements for bad workmanship has steadily increased, and. a larger number of registration certificates would have been endorsed had there been power to remove endorsements after a certain period. The endorsement of a certificate for life is too drastic a punishment for most cases reported, and. the Board has been reluctant to endorse certificates except for bad work of a particularly dangerous or inferior nature. The elimination of workmen who are incompetent or who persist in doing inferior work will tend to reduce still further the comparative small number of fires and accidents due to the use of electrical energy. The rapidly increasing use of electrical energy and the comfort to be derived from its efficient use makes it necessary that only skilled workmen be permitted to carry out the installation of the wiring and consuming devices. It is proposed to amend, the Act this session to provide for several matters not included in the main Act. The principal amendments are conditional registration where the workman, has specialized in some particular part of wiring-work ; the employment of apprentices and improvers to carry out certain minor classes of wiring-work ; the employment of improvers ; provision for the removal of an endorsement for bad workmanship : provision that any repair work or assembly work carried out in a, workshop or similar premises shall be subject to inspection by a qualified wireman before being put into use ; provision that an Inspector shall not inspect any work carried out by himself, and for the cancellation of registration in the case of incompetent Inspectors ; making it an offence for any one to connect up any premises or apparatus until it has been inspected, tested, and approved ; making it an offence to withhold information which may be of assistance in proving who carried out certain wiring-work; and provision for the control of the operation of stage-lighting and portable apparatus used thereon.