Abstract
ON March 3, in reply to a question by Sir M. Macdonald, Mr. Hore-Belisha, the Minister of Transport, said that his Majesty's Government has decided to adopt in principle the recommendations of the McGowan Committee for a reorganization of electricity supply of the country. A few minor modifications would be added, which he understood would be generally acceptable. In the report it is stated that any attempt to carry through a scheme of reorganization on a voluntary basis would fail, and legislation must confer definite and adequate compulsory powers. It is also stated that schemes of reorganization should make provision for the possibility of ultimate public ownership of all undertakings, including those not at present subject to purchase by the local authorities. Complete standardization of systems and voltages and of methods of charge, as well as amalgamation of a large number of small undertakings into a smaller number of large ones will be necessary. As a result of such reorganization, considerable further development of rural areas should, be possible. The scheme recommended by the McGowan Committee should result in a general, though necessarily gradual, reduction in costs. It rejects nationalization as a solution of the distribution problem, at least in the present stage of the evolution of the industry. It prefers to proceed by the gradual method of overhaul and consolidation and a more efficient grouping of existing undertakings. In a report published last December by P E P (Political and Economic Planning, 16 Queen Anne's Gate, S.W.I), the problem is summed up by saying that the public expects that the supply industry will hasten towards a future where the residential consumer, the farmer and the industrialist will have full freedom to use electricity to the greatest advantage. This will obviously take several years.
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Electricity Supply in Great Britain. Nature 139, 440 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/139440c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/139440c0