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See Tabie XVIII for details for year ended 31st March, 1931. ELECTRICAL SUPPLY AND WIRING REGULATIONS. The Electrical Supply and Wiring Regulations, which were gazetted in 1927, with the intention of revising same after two years' trial, are now being revised. It is expected that the work of revision will be completed towards the end of 1931. INSPECTION Or ELECTRIC LINES. The periodic inspection of the electric lines throughout the Dominion has been maintained in conjunction with the inspections necessitated by the addition of new lines erected during the year. It is satisfactory to be able to say that the electric-supply authorities facilitate these inspections, and, almost without exception, give prompt attention to the rectifying of any defects discovered. In 1929 it was intimated that more attention would be paid to the inspecting of consumers' installations, and periodical inspections of this nature will be continued in co-operation with the activities of the Electrical Wiremen's Registration Board. LICENSES ISSUED. The following water-power and electric-line licenses and permits have been issued during the period from July, 1930, to July, 1931 : Licenses—Wilson's (N.Z.) Cement Co. (amendment) ; Wilson's (N.Z.) Cement Co. (Hikurangi) ; North Auckland Power Board; Heathcote County Council (consolidating) ; Raetihi Borough Council (amendment) ; New Zealand Sounds Hydro-electric Concessions (variation) ; D. J. Barry, Ruatoria; Christchurch Tramway Board (trackless trolly) ; M. N. Wallis, Okete ; Maniototo Hospital Board (amendment) ; W. Morris, Tirau ; Malvern Power Board (amendment). Permits — J. W. Fraser, Hawarden ; E. D. Hodges, Waitekauri; A. Schreiber, Oparau ; A. Doig, Mawheraiti; R. Bruce, Pukerua ; E. Rogers, Riverside. The license held by J. Barnett, Leeston, was revoked. ELECTRIC APPLIANCES BOARD. Pressure from the electric-supply authorities and supported by the Electrical Traders' Federation has again been brought to bear on the Department for the setting-up of some authority with constitutional powers to prohibit the sale and use of unsafe electrical appliances to the public, and in response thereto a draft Bill has been prepared. ELECTRICAL FIRES. During the year there were thirty-three fires reported to the Department by the electric-supply authorities and attributed to electrical causes. The corresponding figure reported for 1930 was twenty-four fires. ELECTRICAL ACCIDENTS. During the year ending 31st March, 1931, there were reported to the Department thirty-one electrical accidents, of which eight were fatal. The corresponding figures for 1930 were twenty-four and eight respectively. REGISTRATION OE ELECTRICAL WIREMEN. The year has been a busy one for the Registration Board, and a total of fifteen meetings have been held during the year ended the 30th June, 1931. There has been a slight increase in the total registrations during the above period, a large increase in the number of reports of defective work, and an increase in the number of reports of breaches of the Act. The number of candidates for examination has shown a marked decline over the previous year. A certain amount of delay and additional work is occasioned by the lack, in some cases, of the details which should accompany reports of defective work and breaches of the Act, and a further endeavour was made during the year to bring under the notice of the local authorities the necessity for supplying full reports. The reinspections of consumers' installations has shown that a large number of extensions have been made to existing installations without notice to the electrical-supply authority, and that they have been connected up without inspection or test. In some cases dangerous conditions have been found to exist through this practice, and drastic action is required to put a stop to it. Forty-three prosecutions for breaches of the Act were taken by the Registration Board, and several prosecutions were taken by the local authorities. Sixteen Inspectors of electrical wiring, 149 electrical wiremen with full registration, and eleven electrical wiremen with limited registration have been registered during the year ended the 30th

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T, r. 171, . . T, Electric Electrified Year. Consumers. Electric Ranges. . jr . , . ,.-.,, . , . & Water-heaters. : Milking-machines. I Number. Number. Number. Number. 1925 .. .. .. .. 148,699 1,526 .. 3,581 1926 .. .. .. .. 192,392 4,671 6,654 4,856 1927 .. .. 228,345 9,511 14,160 6,738 1928 .. .. .. .. 243,795 15,766 21,513 8,514 1929 .. .. .. .. 266,306 20,254 29,257 10,161 1930 .. .. 284,235 25.997 37,564 11,922 1931 .. .. .. .. 300,809 29,480 42,803 13,656 Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Increase over six-year period .. 103 1,820 541* 281 * Five years only.