SAVING COAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3104, 7 June 1917, Page 8

SAVING COAL

NEW REGULATIONS GAZETTED ECONOMISING ELECTRICITY AND GAS Regulations authorising the Government and "lighting authorities" to restrict the use of coal-gas and electricity were issued in a Gazette Extraordinary yesterday. The preamble states that it is deemed advisable to make regulations "for the control of the use- of coal gas and electricity with intent to restrict the wasteful consumption of coal, and to make provision for the maintenance of industries dependent upon an adequate .supply of coal and essential to the public welfare."

The regulations provide that for the purpose of preventing 'the wasteful consumption of coal-gas or electricity, and for the purpose (in any locality in which both coal-gas and electricity are supplied to the public as alternative or competitive sources of light or power) of securing complete or partial uniformity in the restrictions imposed upon the use of each of those sources, it shall be lawful, notwithstanding any Act, contract, or obligation to the contrary, for any lighting authority to impose from time to time such restrictions as it thinks fit upon the use of coal-gas or electricity supplied by that authority. Any restriction so imposed may be at any time varied or cancelled by the lighting authority, which may be a local body or a company engaged in the supply of gas or electricity.

Any such restriction may be imposed generally upon aIL consumers, or upon any class ol consumers, or upon consumers individually. Restrictions may be imposed, varied, or cancelled either by notice in writing delivered or posted to the consumers, or by notice published in some newspaper circulating in the neighbourhood in which the supply of coal-gas or electricity takes place. When the lighting authority is a local authority, the powers conferred upon that local authority by these regulations may lie exercised by the couucil or hoard having the general control of the affairs of that local authority, Or by any committee or officer to whom such powers havo been delegated for the time ]>eing by that council Dr board.

When the Minister in charge is satisfied that any lighting authority has not adequately exercised the powers conferred upon it by these regulations, or has unreasonably exercised those powers, the Minister may, in lien of that lighting authority, exercise any powers so vested in it, and may impose any such restrictions as the lighting authority might itself have imposed, and may vary or cancel any restrictions whether imposed bv himself or by the lighting authority. No restrictions so imposed bv the Minister in chnrgo shall h? cancelled or varied by the lightinr authority without the consent of the Minister.

Every person who uses or permits the use of. or is knowingly concerned in the use of, any coal-gas or electricity in breach of any restriction imoosed in pursuance of these regulations shall, whether he is a person to whom such coal-pas or electricity has been supnlied bv the lighting authoritv nr pot. b» guilty of an offence against the regulations.