IMPORTANT DECISION

Southland Times, Issue 25361, 13 August 1935, Page 7

IMPORTANT DECISION

LIABILITY OF POWER BOARDS. DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, August 12. A decision of importance to power boards throughout the Dominion was given by the Magistrate, Mr E. C. Levvey, to-day when he non-suited two Mid-Canterbury farmers, W. M. Mackay and T. B. Mackay, in a claim against the Ashburton Electric Power Board. The claim of £97 was for damages suffered by plaintiffs when the power" was turned on in a broken wire and set fire to grass fences and wheat on their property. For the board Mr C. S. Thomas submitted that far from being negligent it had taken good precautions. The electricity supply regulations provided foxautomatic reclosing devices aftex- the circuit breaker had cut off the current in a line where a fault was suspected. Under the latest regulations the reclosing devices were allowed to be worked three times, but because of the dry season and for othei’ reasons the board had cut out automatic reclosing and haa instituted one reclosing device, worked by hand. The fact that the board’s risk was narrowed down to one reclosing instead of three showed that its standard of care was well within the regulations.