 He was subsequently appointed to the Victorian Government Brown Coal Advisory Committee (chaired by Department of Mines director Hyman Herman), which reported in September 1917.It recommended the establishment of an Electricity Commission to develop the brown coal reserves, construct a power station and transmission lines.In December 1918, Parliament passed a bill to establish a Commission with both regulatory and investigative powers, including taking over the enforcement of the existing "Electric Light and Power Act", which regulated all electricity generators and distributors.