and potential for hydro-electric generation in Southland. There was enthusiastic response in Southland to Birk's report, which resulted in the League receiving additional financial support. This allowed them to directly engage Gisborne consulting engineer F. C. Hay to investigate in more detail the best source of generation, the expected cost and how to reticulate the resulting electricity throughout Southland. Hay's identification of Monowai with its sizable fall from Lake Monowai into the Waiau River as the best source of hydro-electric generation and his estimation of costs was endorsed by the Public Works Department. Hay estimated that it would take three years to complete the power station as well as the transmission system, once authority was given to proceed. At the same time the League believing that for Southland to progress, electricity needed to be made available throughout the province and not just to the major population centres. The League, taking the initiative, wrote the legislation for the Electric Power Boards Act of 1918. This legislation gave the Power Boards the right to produce, reticulate and sell power to areas that the Government did not supply. As a result of the legislation the Southland Electric Power Board (SEPB) was established and in December 1919 elected its first board members. On 5 February 1920 the newly established SEPB formally adopted Hay's proposed Monowai design and it was agreed that the board request ratepayer permission to raise a loan of £1,500,000 to cover both the building of the power scheme and the distribution of electricity throughout the power boards district. A poll of ratepayers in the board's district on 27 March 1920 approved obtaining the loan. Until the loan was obtained SEPB would temporarily fund its activities using a bank overdraft with the collateral being the ability to rate people in the district. Sir Joseph Ward who was soon to be visiting Britain on other business was asked to broker the loan. The New Zealand government subsequently agreed to guarantee SEPB's existing loan and to finance its activities until it could secure an overseas loan. After unsuccessfully trying to employ either Lawrence Birk or Evan Parry as their engineer SEPB engaged the newly established Wellington firm of Hay and Vickerman (which consisted of F.C. Hay and Hugh Vickerman (1880–1960) and John Gill Lancaster (1983 - 1950) in partnership to undertake all engineering surveys, undertake all civil engineering design and construction, with Hay and