Show I P PARLIAMENT T TO BA BATTLE Hlf OVER BIG Baldwin Backing Bill Faces Faces' Laborites Who F e ear a r Nationalization By MILTON BRONNER NEA Service LONDON Dec A CS-A wholesale system of generating electrical POWer POW pow- er to be directed and controlled by bythe bythe the government Is the proposal around which will center one of the greatest of British parliamentary battles of the winter Premier Baldwin head of the conservative conservative con con- party Is back of the bill yet et the bitterest of ef the tories in his own ranks denounce it They see In It a long step toward tion The laborites on the other hand oppose it because the step is too short It does not provide for actual ac- ac national ownership of the electric elec- elec Industry for whIch they have been agitating European trade competitors of England are are- among the most alert watchers of the bills bill's progress If it Is enacted they believe It will strengthen England enormously In Inthe inthe the fight for world markets Germany Germany Ger- Ger many In particular Is Interested The prolonged grim and disastrous disastrous trous coal strike which seems seems gradually gradually grad grad- out was a heavy blow to British industry It represented represented a direct cash loss to capital and labor of more than three tens of a billion dollars It lost markets crippled industrial production production tion and lowered the standard of living A first class co power system would work wonders it is contended in making up for the damage What AmerIcans designate as I superpower is the real object of the proposal The bill would reduce present high costs of power by linking link Unk- ing up the most efficient generating ing plants in a network eliminating wasteful stations and ancI reducing overhead The bill provides for the appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment by the mInister of tr transport of Il a central electrical board consistIng consisting consist consist- Ing of a chairman and seven other members to have charge f the whole enterprIse Working In conjunction conjunction con con- junction wIth them there Is to be bea a commission of electrIcal experts These commissioners are to begin by dividing Great Britain Into areas Within a given area area they are arc to study the electrical situation ha haying hay hay- vIng v- v Ing full access to all th the books o ot all the plants wIthin that area The efficient ones will be chosen ne as the stations at which electricity shall be gener generated ted under the direction of the board These effIcient stations are to be Interconnected at on once e by cables The idea is to get a peak load with as little requirement as possible possible pos pos- sible for more or less expensive reserve reserve re- re serve stations This crIsscrossing of cables is known as the grId In time it Is expected that all Great BritaIn will be divided Into such areas and thus ProvIsions are made whereby the board secures directive control of these selected stations The board then directs the stations to generate generate gener- gener ate such quantities o of electricity at such rates and at such periods as asare asare are needed The plants are to sell all electricity thus produced at a figure which includes a fixed kilowatt kilowatt kilo kilo- watt charge component and a running running run run- ning charge component The problem of of distribution is solved by selling the electricity to authorIzed companies within the designated area who In turn will wUl supply it to the IndIvidual ers ens The board has full power to order the owners of the selected stations to make alterations and extensions in their plants The capital involved has to be borne by br bythe the owners but the board wIll pay the interest and sinkIng fund charges on all such expenditures The bill safeguards the Interests of the owners Of the selected stations stations sta- sta by giving them the right of appeal wherever they feel that they are being asked to do something that wIll cause a loss All money needed by the board will be supplied sup sup- plied by the national treasury treasur but there will be careful parliamentary supervision The essence ot of the bill itself is that the board Is not primarily to own the generating stations for the nation It Is to direct them and sell the power But 1 if diffIculties are encountered in doing this then the mInister of transport may authorize the board itself to buy the stations and operate them I Back of Power Bill 4 7 4 4 i 7 j p Premier Baldwin and his us pipe |