Council meeting of 5 May 1916

“183. The President stated that the meeting had been summoned to consider (a) a letter (ref.210; copies of which had been circulated) dispatched by the Board of Trade to gas and electric lighting undertakings, requesting them to inform their consumers that the consumption of coal for lighting purposes must be reduced by 10 per cent, and (b) whether a General Meeting of electricity supply engineers should be called for Monday 8th May at 12 o’clock (noon) to consider whether individual replies or a joint reply should be sent to the Board of Trade.

It was agreed that the meeting should be held a suggested.”

Council meeting of 11 May 1916

“190. The President informed the Council that:

(a) on the advice of the Honorary Solicitors, Mr Austen Cartmell’s verbal alterations to the draft resolution relating to enemy members (see minute no.173(2), 13 April 1916) had been embodied in the notice calling the meeting of Corporate Members on the 25th May;

(b) he proposed to explain to the meeting that the opinions of two Counsels had been obtained, but he would read only Mr Austen Cartmell’s unless asked to read Mr Hogg’s also.

It was agreed to approve the President’s action.”

“191. The President also reported that in addition to 5 members of the staff who are already serving in the Army, 9 more are about to be called up, and it was agreed that the Finance Committee should make arrangements for carrying on the work of the Institution, and make applications for postponement or exemption in certain cases if necessary.”

“193. On the motion of Mr Chattock, seconded by Professor Mather, it was resolved;

(a) that the Council consider it desirable that, until the end of the war, naturalised members of alien enemy birth who are members of the Council, or of any of its Committees, or of Committees of the Local Sections, abstain from taking any active participation in the affairs of the Institution.

(b) that the Honorary Secretaries of the Local Sections be requested to communicate the above resolution to their Committees, and circulate it with the agenda or minutes of one of their Committee meetings.”

“197. At the suggestion of the President it was agreed that a Roll of Honour and List of Honours Awarded be exhibited in the Hall.”

“198. The President reported that, as arranged at the meeting of the Council in Committee on the 23rd March, he had addressed a letter to the Board of Trade suggesting the desirability of the Board appointing a Committee to consider the position of the British Electrical Engineering Industry after the war; and that an announcement had appeared in The Times of the 26th April, to the effect that such a Committee has been appointed by the Board of Trade.”

“Committee of the Whole Council

It was agreed to make the following recommendations to the Council:

2(d) in view of the desirability of securing that none other than British electrical apparatus be purchased in the United Kingdom, press for the setting up of a protective tariff, notwithstanding such benefits as will in any case result from patriotism.

2(e) recommend the setting up of a permanent Advisory Committee to ensure that as far as possible raw materials and parts as well as the whole apparatus necessary to the trade of the British Empire shall be made within the Empire.

2(g) urge the Imperial adoption of British electrical standards.”

Council meeting of 25 May 1916

“207. The President explained that, as he had been invited to give evidence on Wednesday, the 31st May, before the Electrical Industry Committee (After-the-War Trade) of the Board of Trade, the meeting had been called to consider the recommendations of the Committee of the Whole Council as set out on pages 109 and 110 of the minutes of the meeting of the 11th May 1916.

After discussion, it was resolved (Mr Kingsbury dissenting from (f) and (g)) that the following points be submitted by the President, on behalf of the Council, to the Board of Trade Committee:-

(f) In view of the desirability of securing that none other than British electrical apparatus be purchased in the United Kingdom, press for the setting up of a protective tariff, notwithstanding such benefits as will in any case result from patriotism.

(g) Recommend the setting up of a permanent Advisory Committee to ensure that as far as possible raw materials and parts as well as the whole apparatus necessary to the trade of the British Empire shall be made within the Empire.

(i) Urge the Imperial adoption of British engineering standards

(j) Urge the use of the Metric System be made compulsory after a reasonable period; and during this period all trade catalogues to make use of both the English and the Metric Systems.”