17

H.—44.

efficiency, except in tie case of any consumer who objects to such alteration, adjustment, or replacement- by the company. 7. The minimum permissible pressure shall be such pressure in any main or in any pipe, laid between the main and the meter, having an internal diameter of 2 in. and upwards, as to balance a column of water not less than 2 in. in height, except as may be otherwise provided by the order relating to any company, and different minima may be specified for different parts of the district supplied by any company, or for gas of different calorific values. 8. It shall not be lawful for any company (whether or not such company is a company specified in the Schedule hereto) to charge for the supply of gas according to the number of British thermal units supplied, unless authorized to do so by the Minister. 9. (1.) The Minister shall appoint two persons to act as Gas Referees, one of whom shall be a person having practical knowledge and experience in the manufacturing and supply of gas, and shall likewise appoint a third person who shall act as a Gas Referee and also as Chief Gas-examiner. (2.) There may be appointed in a like manner such properly qualified Gas-examiners and Inspectors of Meters as may from time to time be found necessary for the purpose of carrying out these regulations. 10. Two of the Gas Referees shall be a quorum and at least two of the Gas Referees shall concur in every act or determination of the Gas Referees. 11. The Gas Referees shall prescribe — (a.) The places and times at which and the apparatus and methods by which tests, whether continuous or intermittent, shall be made to ascertain whether any company with respect to which an order has been made under these regulations is supplying gas in accordance with its obligations ; and (b.) The method by which any such apparatus shall be verified ; and (c.) The time and form of the reports to be made by a Gas-examiner to the Gas Referees and to the companies, and the means by which the results of the tests shall be made available to the public. 12. If a company thinks itself aggrieved by any report of the Gas-examiner, it may within thirty (30) days appeal to the Gas Referees, who may confirm with or without amendment, or annul the report and the decision of the Gas Referees, after hearing the parties, shall be final and conclusive. 13. Any company with respect to which an order has been made under these regulations, shall provide and maintain to the satisfaction of the Gas Referees, the prescribed testing places and apparatus, and shall give any Gas-examiner access to any testing-place for the proper execution of his duty. 14. The prescribed apparatus shall, in the case of any companies which have sold in the preceding year more than fifty million cubic feet of gas, and in any other case in which it appears necessary to the Gas Referees, include a calorimeter of a design approved by the Gas Referees, for the production of a continuous record of the calorific value of the gas which is being supplied. 15. A representative of the company may be present on any occasion in which the Gas-examiner inspects, or alters, adjusts, or replaces the testing-apparatus, or tests the gas, but shall not interfere with the inspection, alteration, adjustment, or replacement, or test, unless requested to do so by the Examiner. For the purposes of this regulation, the Gas-examiner shall, in cases where the testingplace is situated elsewhere than on the works of the company, give to the company reasonable notice of the time at which he will attend at the testing-place. 16. The Gas Referees may at any reasonable time where it appears to them necessary for the proper execution of their duties, enter upon and inspect any of the works of a company, and the company shall afford them and their assistants full facilities for this purpose, and shall furnish the Gas Referees with such information with regard to the position of the mains and pipesof the company and with regard to any other matter, as the Gas Referees may reasonably require : Provided that the Gas Referees, or any other person or persons acting under authority of these regulations, shall immediately prior to any inspection of any works of a company notify any responsible official of the company of his or their intention to carry out such inspection. 17. The. remuneration of the Gas Referees and Gas-examiners shall be such as the Minister may fix. 18. (1.) It shall be an offence by a company against the regulations — (a.) If that company fails to comply with any lawful prescription of the Gas Referees or to provide or maintain any testing place, apparatus, or materials, or any other matter • or thing prescribed therein, or to afford to Gas-examiners or Gas Referees access to any testing place or works in accordance with the requirements of these regulations, or to afford or furnish any facilities or information in accordance with the requirements of these regulations : (b.) If on any occasion of testing by a Gas-examiner the average calorific value of the gas supplied by that company for a period of two hours or upwards ascertained in accordance with the provisions of these regulations (by intermittent tests or by a continuous test with a recording calorimeter after verification and, if necessary, adjustment by the Gas-examiner) is more than 5 per cent, below the declared calorific value : Provided that where there is no continuous record of the calorific value of the gas supplied by the company, if on any occasion of testing the calorific value at any testingplace is found to be more than 5 per cent, below the declared calorific value, a second testing shall be made on the same day after an interval of not less than one hour, and the mean of the two testings shall be deemed, for the purposes of this subclause, to be the calorific value of the gas supplied by the company at that testing-place for a period of two hours :

B—H. 44.