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Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1933, Page 4

In the course of a recent speech Mr R. P. Sloan, the president of the British Electrical and Allied Industries Research Association, made special reference to the value of research work. It was sometimes said, he stated that “research surely is a matter for manufacturers.” It wa s primarily their affair, and they had appreciated it. Some of them were spending over £IOO,OOO a 3'ear on research. Manufacturers recognised, however, that there were problems better investigated by co-operation with others, ai.d that led to the formation of the Electrical Research Association some 12 years ago. Knowing the particular classes of research which were carried out !>«• the association, he felt strongly that electricity supply authorities should he ai greatly interested, and in some respects more interested, than ma’-'ufactnreis. To bring facts to the knowledge of electricity supply authorities an economic investigation was undertaken by the association in 1.929, and they were able to show the accumulated savings which such authorities had enjoyed as a remit ot researches during a period of years. The compiled figures wore critically examined by representatives of municipal and company suppb'ers of electricity, and it was generally agreed that

the savings to authorised undertakings represented no lots than i 11,000,000 a year. Were, a similar investigation to be made to-day, the saving to supply authorities would represent a considerably greater figure.