Page 103 - Bulletin 11 2007

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In the mean time, Eskom had been established as from 1 March 1923. Charles Merz, a
Consulting Engineer from England, who had been appointed as consultant to all three,

by the Railways, Eskom and the Council, recommended that the new power station
should be built by Eskom and that Swingler should be appointed in a dual capacity as

Eskom’s local manager. Shortly after, the parties finally reached agreement and

Swingler was appointed in the dual capacity as from 27 March 1924.

Eskom commissioned Salt River Power Station in 1928 and it was interconnected with
Dock Road. A partial electric train service between Cape Town and Fish Hoek was in

operation with two electric trains from 19 June 1928, fourteen trips being made daily.
Full electric working to Simon’s Town was introduced on 13 August 1928. The

scheduled time from Cape Town to Fish Hoek was reduced by 13 minutes.

George Swingler was President of the Association of Municipal Electricity

Undertakings from 1922 to 1924. He also initiated the Council’s very successful Hire

Purchase Scheme, which received wide publicity overseas. He opened showrooms at
various parts of the Peninsula and customers were generally encouraged and assisted to

buy electrical appliances. Exhibitions were held and a model all-electric flat fitted out.
Some of may remember seeing the Council vehicles bearing the slogan “Cook by

Wire.” The supply of electrical power completely transformed standards of living. At
first, one simply plugged appliances into the nearest light socket using two-way

adapters, which soon looked like a Christmas tree! But in the 1920s, power sockets

were introduced and were a lot safer. Today we also have earth-leakage protection for
even greater safety. Labour-saving appliances were once considered a luxury, but have

now become a necessity in the home.

During World War 2 George Swingler was seconded, from 1940 to 1943, to represent
the South African Director General of War Supplies in the USA. When he returned to

South Africa his health was failing and he retired from the City Council Electricity

Department in 1944. He died at Hermanus in 1946, aged 62. (Fig. 2.22).