Abstract
AT the present time many people are interested in the supply of electricity for thinly populated districts, but they are only beginning to realize that it is a very safe commercial venture. There is a great demand for an electric supply at a reasonable cost and the expense of advertising by demonstration vans, etc., is not great. In a paper on this subject read by J". S. Pickles to the Institution of Electrical Engineers on December 2 it is pointed out that in many countries abroad the public supply of electricity is regarded as a necessity. As a practical example of what can be done by borough councils, he gives a description of the Dumfries scheme, which covers the whole of a geographical county of 1,070 square miles in area. With the exception of only one town, no electrical development had previously taken place in the supply area. The scheme was begun six years ago, the electric supply being purchased by the borough from the Central Electricity Board. The policy adopted aimed at providing supply to every consumer without asking him to make a contribution towards the capital cost, no matter what was the length of his necessary service main. Neither was he asked to pay any guaranteed minimum revenue. The adopted scheme provided for the immediate erection of a comprehensive system of overhead wires with the necessary transformers, etc., capable of giving a supply practically to all prospective consumers within the area. It was recognized that the expenditure of large capital sums in the early years would lead to commercial deficits unless the development amongst consumers was very rapid.
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Rural Electrification. Nature 141, 281 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/141281a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/141281a0