ELECTRICAL WIREMEN’S ACT

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 119, 17 February 1928, Page 6

ELECTRICAL WIREMEN’S ACT

TWO PROSECUTIONS FAIL. In a reserved judgment given in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Mr. L. Page, S.M., dismissed informations brought under the Electrical Wireuieu’s Act, against Janies Darling, manager of the ’Kelburn and Karori Tramway Co., Ltd., who was charged with employing other than registered electrical wireman to do wiring work lor the company, and Peter Gow, who was charged with having been engaged in the work of wiring for that company while not a registered wireman.

“Since its formation, over twenty-five years ago,” said Air. Page,, “the company has done its own wiring, and in April last, being desirous of erecting two lights on the land at the back of its building at Kelburn, it took leads from its electrical wires there, and affixed and connected up two lights on posts in the yards. The work was carried out by Gow, who is a certificated engineer in the company’s employ, but who is not registered under the Electrical Wiremen’s Registration Act of 1925. . . . Clause 8 of the regulatious, which defines electrical wiring work, applies only to electrical energy, of a voltage normally not exceeding 650 volts, measured at the point at which the supply is delivered. This cause also assumes that the supply—delivered to. the consumer, and its definition of wiring work, applies only to such supply. .Tn a case like the present one there is no delivery. The electricity is generated and used on the premises.” “This is a penal act.” concluded the Magistrate, “and the defendants should not be penalised unless it is reasonably clear that their operations are brought within the Statute. In my view the provisions of tho Statute mo not applicable to a case like the present, and these informations must, therefore, be dismissed.” At the hearing Mr. J. M. Tudhope, assistant Crown Solicitor, prosecuted for tho Department, while Dnrlincr was to presented l>v Air. J. F. B. Stevenson. Air. A. J. Alaze.ngarb appeared for Gow.