38285-1914-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time--Foreign-Marriage — Page 2

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A BILL

ENTITLED

An Ordinance to amend the Electricity Supply

Ordinance, 1911.

BE it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-

.1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Electricity Supply Short title. Amendment Ordinance, 1914, and shall be read and con- strued as one with the Electricity Supply Ordinance, 1911, (hereinafter called the Principal Ordinance), and this Ordi- nance and the said Ordinance may be cited together as the Electricity Supply Ordinances, 1911-1914.

2. Section 3 of the Principal Ordinance is hereby Repeal of repealed and the following section substituted therefor :-

section 3 and sub- stitution of new section therefor.

Regulations

the public.

"3.—(1.) The regulations for securing the safety

of the public contained in the schedule shall for securing have effect as respects any company generating

the safety of or supplying electricity within the Colony. (2.) The provisions of this section shall be applic- able retrospectively to any company in exist- ence at the date of the coming into operation of this Ordinance.

(3.) It shall be lawful for the Governor-in-Council to grant exemption from the provisions of this section to any company which proves to the satisfaction of the Governor-in-Council that the conditions under which it generates or supplies electricity are such as not to endanger in any way the safety of the public."

Objects and Reasons,

By Section 3 of the Electricity Supply Ordinance, 1911, certain regulations for securing the safety of the public which are contained in the Schedule to the Ordinance were declared applicable to any Company supplying electricity within the Colony but the application of these regulations was by a proviso restricted in a manner which experience has shewn to be not altogether satisfactory.

Under the old Ordinance the regulations were not to apply to any electric line or works laid down or erected by any person or body of persons for the supply of electricity generated upon any premises occupied by such person or body to any other part of such premises. Whilst the majority of Electric Installations to which this exempting proviso is applicable is no doubt free from danger it has been found that there do exist casos in which private installations apparently of faulty character are situated in the centre of or adjacent to other premises to which they constitute a constant danger.

In order to avoid this serious state of affairs, the present Bill has been introduced providing that the regulations for securing the safety of the public contained in the Schedule to the Ordinance shall have effect generally and that any exemption from the provisions of the section must be of specific character subject to the express permission of the Governor-in-Council.

Any installation of self contained character which does not shadow with danger other premises will under sub- section (3), giving power to the Governor-in-Council to grant exemption from the general provisions of the section, be able to obtain freedom from the application of the regulations in question.

It would seem clear that from a public point of view and for the safety of the public the modification of Section 3 of the Electricity Supply Ordinance, 1911, which is pro- posed under the present Bill is a matter of great desira- bility.

JOHN A. BUCKNILL,

Attorney General.