Report by Convener of Fuel and Power Sub-committee

It will be recalled that the Fuel and Power Sub-committee, originally appointed by the Council in 1950, was instructed by Standing Committee in April, 1955, to review the position, and reported accordingly to the Council at its last Annual Meeting.

Since that date, the Sub-committee has prepared and distributed to the Press throughout New Zealand a series of six articles on various aspects of the subject. These appeared widely throughout the country, either in full or in part, and were accorded editorial comment in a considerable number of newspapers The New Zealand Electrical Journal published most of them in full in the June and July, 1955, issues. Copies of the articles were sent to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister and to other Ministers of the Crown.

The articles attempted to inform the public of major possible improvements in the present fuel and power organisation, especially on the side of utilisation and conservation; and to indicate directions in which a better long-term technical planning might be expected to ameliorate the present position. An outline of some such organisation was presented.

Subsequently members of the Sub-committee had discussions with two senior Ministers of the Crown. Similar discussions were held also with the D.S.I.R. and the State Hydro-electric Department. An attempt was made at these meetings to find out what type of organisation might be acceptable to the Government. The reception in all cases was somewhat disappointing, and has left the Sub-committee with the feeling that the Government looks upon any effort to help in more technical aspects of the fuel and power situation as transgressing on established departmental prerogatives.

An approach to the President of the N.Z. Institution of Engineers has so far been unproductive of other than sympathy with the general suggestions.

These contacts have convinced us that no progress is likely towards inaugurating an organisation of the kind we envisage, until consumer interests have been approached and roused, and a substantial measure of financial support promised by them. A commencement has just been made to appeal to such interests, by a preliminary approach to the N.Z. Electrical Supply Authorities' Association with a considered programme.

The type of organisation now being proposed by my committee is akin to a Research Association, of which a number are already in existence under the wing of the D.S.I.R. This Fuel and Power Research Association would, however, be a fact-finding organisation and not an experimental organisation, except that, if problems were encountered which merited an experimental approach, the association would be in a position to farm out such problems on a subsidised basis to laboratories already in existence. Finances for the Association would need to be provided by the interests combining to support it, and a substantial subsidy might well then be expected from the Government.

If further action along these lines meets with the approval of the Council, my Committee is prepared to continue its efforts for a further term.

L. Bastings,Convener.