text:
Banking System Reform (Separation of Banks) Bill 2019
A Bill for an Act to re-establish confidence in the banking system, to separate retail commercial banking activities involving the holding of deposits from wholesale and investment banking involving risky activities, and for other purposes
Registered 13 Feb 2019
Introduced Senate 12 Feb 2019
3 Outline of the purposes of this Act
5 Application to Crown
6 Re-regulation
7 Prohibition on affiliations by banks with non-bank entities
8 Individuals eligible to serve on boards of banks
9 Termination of existing affiliations and activities
10 Limitation on banking activities
11 Permitted activities of banks
12 Evasion of provisions
13 Financial Claims Scheme
14 Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
2016‑2017‑2018‑2019
(Senator Hanson)
A Bill for an Act to re‑establish confidence in the banking system, to separate retail commercial banking activities involving the holding of deposits from wholesale and investment banking involving risky activities, and for other purposes
1 Short title........................................................................................................ 1
2 Commencement.............................................................................................. 2
3 Outline of the purposes of this Act................................................................ 2
4 Definitions..................................................................................................... 3
5 Application to Crown..................................................................................... 5
6 Re‑regulation.................................................................................................. 5
7 Prohibition on affiliations by banks with non‑bank entities........................... 5
8 Individuals eligible to serve on boards of banks............................................ 6
9 Termination of existing affiliations and activities........................................... 7
10 Limitation on banking activities.................................................................... 7
11 Permitted activities of banks......................................................................... 9
12 Evasion of provisions................................................................................ 11
13 Financial Claims Scheme........................................................................... 11
14 Australian Prudential Regulation Authority............................................... 11
A Bill for an Act to re‑establish confidence in the
banking system, to separate retail commercial
banking activities involving the holding of deposits
from wholesale and investment banking involving
risky activities, and for other purposes
This Act is the Banking System Reform (Separation of Banks) Act 2019.
The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.
The purposes of this Act are as follows:
(a) to reduce risks to the financial system by limiting the ability of banks to engage in activities other than socially valuable core banking activities;
(b) to protect taxpayers and reduce moral hazard by removing explicit and implicit government guarantees for high‑risk activities outside of the core business of banking;
(c) to eliminate any conflict of interest that arises from banks engaging in activities from which their profits are earned at the expense of their customers or clients;
(d) to provide for the safer and more effective use of the assets of banks, to regulate interbank control, and to prevent the undue diversion of funds into speculative operations;
(e) to re‑enforce the Constitutional power of the Commonwealth Parliament to regulate banking and other aspects of the Australian economy, and to promote the exercise of that power in Australia's national interest, including through ensuring an orderly flow of credit and currency to public infrastructure and utilities and to private enterprise engaged in the production and transportation of tangible economic wealth, including manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and mining, successive governments having been deficient in action in the national interest by abrogating such power and relinquishing it to private banking interests, which have been exercising arbitrary judgments on monetary policies in violation of Australia's national economic interest;
(f) to require that the Australian government re‑regulate Australia's national financial system by the separation of sound commercial banking, which benefits the average Australian, from the speculative merchant banking activities which have grown like a cancer under financial deregulation, both in this country and worldwide and which have largely caused the present, ever deepening global financial crisis;
(g) to facilitate this re‑regulation of Australia's financial system by mandating strict Parliamentary control over APRA, including fines and/or jail terms for APRA officials attempting to evade such supervision.
In this Act:
APRA means the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
bank means a body corporate carrying on banking business and being an authorised deposit‑taking institution within the meaning of the Banking Act 1959 as amended and in respect of which an authority under subsection 9(3) of that Act is in force.
bank holding company means any body corporate, whether or not operating as a bank, which owns a controlling interest in, or controls in any manner the election of directors or trustees of, or directly or indirectly exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of any bank.
banking business means:
(a) business that consists of banking within the meaning of paragraph 51(xiii) of the Constitution; or
(b) business that is carried on by a corporation to which paragraph 51(xx) of the Constitution applies and that consists, to any extent, of both taking money on deposit (otherwise than as part payment for identified goods or services) and making advances of money or credit;
but does not include State banking not extending beyond the limits of the State concerned.
business of receiving deposits means the establishment and maintenance of a deposit or account on which the depositor or account holder is permitted to make withdrawals by negotiable or transferable instrument, payment orders of withdrawal, telephone transfers, or other similar items for the purpose of making payments or transfers to third persons or others. Such term includes demand deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, and savings deposits subject to automatic transfers.
Committee means the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Prudential Regulation created pursuant to subsection 14(1).
investment securities means marketable obligations evidencing indebtedness of any person, co‑partnership, association, or corporation in the form of bonds, notes, or debentures, and obligations of the Commonwealth government, or of any State or subdivision of the Commonwealth, and does not include managed investment schemes or any of the instruments described in paragraph 10(3)(a).
managed investment scheme means a managed investment scheme within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 as amended, in which members make contributions in return for an interest in the benefits the scheme produces, in which contributions are pooled to produce the benefits, and members do not have day‑to‑day control over how the scheme operates.
securities entity includes any entity engaged in:
(a) the issue, flotation, underwriting, public sale, or distribution of stocks, bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities; or
(b) market making; or
(c) activities of a broker or dealer; or
(d) activities of a futures commission merchant; or
(e) activities of an investment adviser or investment company; or
(f) hedge fund or private equity investments in the securities of either privately or publicly held companies; but does not include a bank that, pursuant to its authorised trust and fiduciary activities, purchases and sells investments for the account of its customers or provides financial or investment advice to its customers.
swap dealer or swaps dealer means an entity that:
(a) holds itself out as a dealer in swaps; or
(b) makes a market in swaps; or
(c) regularly enters into swaps with counterparties as an ordinary course of business for its own account; or
(d) engages in activity causing itself to be commonly known in the trade as a dealer or market maker in swaps.
swaps entity means a swap dealer, security‑based swap dealer, major swap participant, or major security‑based swap participant.
This Act binds the Crown in right of each of the States, of the Australian Capital Territory and of the Northern Territory.
6 Re‑regulation
The Australian government shall not implement any policy nor propose any legislation or regulation which is incompatible with the purposes or provisions of this Act.
7 Prohibition on affiliations by banks with non‑bank entities
(1) A bank may not:
(a) be or become an affiliate of any insurance company, securities entity, swaps entity or any company which is not a bank; or
(b) be in common ownership or control with any insurance company, securities entity, swaps entity or any company which is not a bank; or
(c) engage in any activity that would cause the bank to qualify as an insurance company, securities entity, or swaps entity or any company which is not a bank.
(2) No bank or bank holding company shall, after the commencement of this Act, retain or acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of any company or entity which is not a bank.
(3) A bank may not issue bonds or securities which have any voting rights whatsoever in the management or business of the bank. This provision shall not prevent a bank which is listed on any Australian stock exchange issuing shares which carry voting rights in the management or business of the bank.
(1) An individual who is an officer, director, partner, or employee of any securities entity, insurance company, or swaps entity may not serve at the same time as an officer, director, employee, or other institution‑affiliated party of any bank.
(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply with respect to service by any individual who is otherwise prohibited under that subsection, if the appropriate Minister with the consent of the Committee determines that service by such an individual as an officer, director, employee, or other institution‑affiliated party of a bank would not unduly influence:
(a) the investment policies of the bank; or
(b) the advice that the bank provides to customers.
(3) Subject to a determination under subsection (2), any individual described in subsection (1) who, as of the date of commencement of this Act, is serving as an officer, director, employee, or other institution‑affiliated party of any bank shall terminate such service as soon as is practicable after such date of commencement, and in no event later than the end of the 60‑day period beginning on that date of commencement.
(1) Any affiliation, common ownership or control, or activity of a bank or bank holding company with any securities entity, insurance company, swaps entity, or any other person, as of the date of commencement of this Act, which is prohibited under section 7 shall be terminated as soon as is practicable, and in no event later than the end of a 24‑month period beginning on that date of commencement.
(2) APRA may order termination of an affiliation, common ownership or control, or activity prohibited by section 7 before the end of the 24‑month period described in subsection (1), if APRA determines that such action:
(a) is necessary to prevent undue concentration of resources, decreased or unfair competition, conflicts of interest, or unsound banking practices; and
(b) is in the public interest.
(3) Subject to a determination under subsection (2), APRA may extend the 24‑month period described in subsection (1) as to any particular bank for not more than an additional 3 months at a time, if:
(a) APRA certifies that such extension would promote the public interest and would not pose a significant threat to the stability of the banking system or financial markets in Australia; and
(b) such extension, in the aggregate, does not exceed 1 year for any single bank; and
(c) such extension has been approved by the Committee.
(4) Upon receipt of an extension under (3), the bank shall notify shareholders of the bank and the general public that it has failed to comply with the requirements of subsection (1).
(1) After the expiration of two years after the date of commencement of this Act it shall be unlawful:
(a) for any person, firm, corporation, association, business trust, or other similar organisation, engaged in the business of issuing, underwriting, selling, or distributing, at wholesale or retail, or through syndicate participation, stocks, bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities, to engage at the same time to any extent whatever in the business of receiving deposits subject to cheque or to repayment upon presentation of a passbook, certificate of deposit, or other evidence of debt, or upon request of the depositor; or
(b) for any person, firm, corporation, association, business trust, or other similar organisation, other than a bank, to engage to any extent whatever in the business of receiving deposits subject to cheque or to repayment upon presentation of a passbook, certificate of deposit, or other evidence of debt, or upon request of the depositor.
(2) A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person commits or causes a breach of any of the provisions of this section; or
(b) the person:
(i) is an officer, director, employee, or agent of a person, firm, corporation, association, business trust, or other similar organisation; and
(ii) knowingly participates in any such violation.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 5 years or 1,190 penalty units, or both.
(a) invest in a structured or synthetic product, a financial instrument in which a return is calculated based on the value of, or by reference to the performance of, a security, commodity, swap, other asset, or an entity, or any index or basket composed of securities, commodities, swaps, other assets, or entities, other than customarily determined interest rates; or
(b) otherwise engage in the business of receiving deposits or extending credit for transactions involving structured or synthetic products.
(4) A bank or bank holding company shall not:
(a) engage in the business of a securities entity or a swaps entity, including dealing or making markets in securities, repurchase agreements, exchange traded and over‑the‑counter swaps, or structured or synthetic products, or any other over‑the‑counter securities, swaps, contracts, or any other agreement that derives its value from, or takes on the form of, such securities, derivatives, or contracts; or
(b) engage in proprietary trading; or
(c) own, sponsor, or invest in a hedge fund, or private equity fund, or any other fund that exhibits the characteristics of a fund that takes on proprietary trading activities or positions; or
(d) hold ineligible securities or derivatives; or
(e) engage in market‑making; or
(f) engage in prime brokerage activities; or
(g) promote or engage directly or indirectly in any managed investment scheme, including but not limited to the making of loans or granting of credit to, or in any way supporting, either the trustee or manager of any scheme or the members of any scheme; or
(h) make any loan or grant any credit to, or in any way support, any person or corporation, whether or not a customer of the bank, if, to the knowledge of the bank, such support or loan or credit is intended to be employed in the undertaking of any investment or activity prohibited to the bank by this Act.
(5) No bank or bank holding company shall act as the medium or agent of any non‑banking corporation, partnership, association, business trust, or individual in making loans on the security of stocks, bonds, or other investment securities to brokers or dealers in stocks, bonds, and other investment securities or in any dealings whatsoever in respect of stocks, bonds, or other investment securities.
(6) No bank or bank holding company shall underwrite any issue of stocks, bonds, or other investment securities.
(1) The business of banking which may be undertaken by a bank shall be limited to the following core banking services:
(a) the business of receiving deposits;
(b) the extension of credit to individuals, businesses, not for profit organisations, and other entities;
(c) the discount and negotiation of promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange, and other evidences of debt;
(d) the loan of money on personal security.
(2) A bank may participate in payment systems, defined as instruments, banking procedures, and interbank funds transfer systems that ensure the circulation of money.
(3) A bank may buy, sell, and exchange coin and bullion.
(4) A bank may invest in investment securities as defined in section 4 provided that:
(a) the business of dealing in investment securities and shares by a bank shall be limited to:
(i) purchasing and selling such securities and shares without recourse, solely upon the order, and for the account, of customers, and, subject to subparagraph (ii), in no case for its own account, and the bank shall not underwrite any issue of securities or shares; and
(ii) purchasing for its own account investment securities under such limitations as APRA with the approval of the Committee may prescribe, by regulation; and
(b) in no event shall the total amount of the investment securities of any single obligor or maker, held by the bank for its own account, exceed 10 per cent of its capital stock actually paid in and unimpaired and 10 per cent of its unimpaired surplus fund, except that such limitation shall not require any bank to dispose of any investment securities lawfully held by it on the date of commencement of this Act.
(5) In considering any limitations to be imposed by APRA and the Committee pursuant to subparagraph (4)(a)(ii) APRA and the Committee shall give primary consideration to the purposes of this Act as set out in section 3 and shall not approve any investment security which may directly or indirectly enable any investment or activity prohibited to the bank by this Act.
(1) Any attempt to structure any contract, investment, instrument, or product in such a manner that the purpose or effect of such contract, investment, instrument, or product is to evade or attempt to evade the provisions of this Act shall render such contract, investment, instrument, or product void.
(a) the person attempts to structure any contract, investment, instrument, or product in such a manner that the purpose or effect of such contract, investment, instrument, or product is to evade or attempt to evade the provisions of this Act; or
(1) The Financial Claims Scheme as created by the Financial System Legislation Amendment (Financial Claims Scheme and Other Measures) Act 2008 shall extend to all accounts held with any Australian bank whose banking business does not include any prohibited activities.
(2) The Financial Claims Scheme as created by the Financial System Legislation Amendment (Financial Claims Scheme and Other Measures) Act 2008 shall not extend to any accounts held with any Australian bank whose banking business includes any prohibited activities in breach of the provisions of this Act.
(1) As soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act and after the commencement of the first session of each Parliament, a joint committee of members of the Parliament, to be known as the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Prudential Regulation, shall be appointed.
(2) The Committee shall consist of 10 members, of whom:
(a) 5 shall be senators appointed by the Senate; and
(b) 5 shall be members of the House of Representatives appointed by that House.
(3) The appointment of members by a House shall be in accordance with that House's practice relating to the appointment of members of that House to serve on joint select committees of both Houses.
(4) A person is not eligible for appointment as a member if he or she is:
(a) a Minister; or
(b) the President of the Senate; or
(c) the Speaker of the House of Representatives; or
(d) the Deputy President and Chair of Committees of the Senate; or
(e) the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives; or
(f) a chair or deputy chair of a committee of a House of the Parliament.
(5) A member ceases to hold office:
(a) when the House of Representatives expires or is dissolved; or
(b) if he or she becomes the holder of an office referred to in a paragraph of subsection (4); or
(c) if he or she ceases to be a member of the House by which he or she was appointed; or
(d) if he or she resigns his or her office.
(6) Subject to this Act, all matters relating to the Committee's powers and proceedings shall be determined by resolution of both Houses.
(7) The Committee's duties are:
(a) to hold public inquiries into, and report to both Houses on:
(i) activities of APRA, or matters connected with such activities, to which, in the Committee's opinion, the Parliament's attention should be directed; or
(ii) the operation of any law relating to APRA, or of any other law of the Commonwealth, of a State or Territory or of a foreign country that appears to the Committee to affect significantly the operation of such law; and
(b) to examine each annual report that is prepared by APRA, and to report to both Houses on matters that appear in, or arise out of, that annual report and to which, in the Committee's opinion, the Parliament's attention should be directed; and
(c) to inquire into any question in connection with APRA's duties that is referred to it by a House, and to report to that House on that question.
(8) Within 30 days of the passage of this Act APRA shall lodge with the Parliament a copy of all Prudential Standards created by APRA pursuant to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 together with an explanatory statement for each Standard. If any documents are incorporated in the Standard or explanatory statement by reference, the lodgement shall include a description of the incorporated documents and indicate how they may be obtained.
(9) Subject to any direction given by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Prudential Regulation, the appropriate Minister shall, as soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act, by notice in writing, give to APRA guidelines to be observed in relation to the performance of APRA's functions that relate to the Australian financial system and Australia's banking system, and may, from time to time, vary or replace guidelines so given.
(10) Any Prudential Standard proposed by APRA after the commencement of this Act shall be subject to the approval of the Parliament and if not so approved shall be of no force and effect.
(11) Either House of Parliament may pass a resolution disallowing any Prudential Standard at any time after such lodgement, but only if notice of the resolution was given within 15 sitting days of the House or Senate after the lodgement.
(12) On the passing of a resolution disallowing any Prudential Standard, the Standard shall cease to have effect.
(13) APRA shall not consult with nor accept nor implement the recommendations or decisions of any foreign bank or foreign authority including, but not limited to, the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements, without the prior express written approval and consent of the Committee. In seeking such approval and consent APRA shall provide the Committee with full details of any request from such foreign authority or bank and the basis upon which APRA seeks to undertake any contact with such institution or bank or to consider any recommendation or decision of such bank or authority and shall provide to the Committee a copy of all communications with such bodies and a written transcript of any discussions.
(14) A person commits an offence if the person breaches or authorises a breach of subsection (13).
(15) Subject to any terms or conditions as may be imposed by the Committee APRA shall provide to Australian Federal and State Police and law enforcement bodies:
(a) any documents, information or data requested by such bodies regarding any bank under APRA's regulatory supervision;
(b) any documents, information or data which may come to the attention of or into the possession of APRA and which may evidence a crime or breach of any Australian law.
(16) A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person evades, or attempts to evade, the provisions of subsection (15); or
(i) is an officer, employee, or agent of APRA; and
(17) In the making of any determination to be made by APRA or the Committee pursuant to this Act, APRA and the Committee shall give primary consideration the purposes of this Act as set out in section 3.


text:
Justice in Kosovo TV promo results in bribery-related arrest in Decan
The ad for tonight's Justice in Kosovo show resulted in the arrest of the son of Peja judge, caught on tape taking a bribe.
Only 16 hours after the TV ad aired for Justice in Kosovo's latest episode, to be broadcast on RTK on Friday evening, the Prosecution in Peja authorized a raid in the house and offices of the overseeing judge in Peja, Safete Tolaj.
On Friday morning, police also arrested Fisnik Tolaj, the judge's son, at his house in the village of Prilep in Decan. In the meantime, BIRN was told, offices in the Decan courthouse are also being searched.
On Thursday, the BIRN television program Justice in Kosovo released a short teaser, notifying the audience that it would broadcast evidence corroborating allegations that the son of judge Tolaj was corrupt.
Allegations of corruption regarding this case were reported on the anti-corruption platform Kallxo.com 18 months ago. After months of investigations and interviews, Justice in Kosovo will be broadcasting the gathered footage this evening.
Video footage obtained by Justice in Kosovo shows Tolaj's son taking money and negotiating the transfer of ownership of a land plot in exchange for resolving a court case in favor of the Kelmendi family.
Furthermore, the video shows Fisnik Tolaj discussing "his network" and promising the family members that he knows judges and lawyers in the Appeals Court who would be able to decide in their favor.
The full footage, which will be broadcast tonight at 10:20 pm, shows family members giving Tolaj a bribe.
Kreshnik Gashi 13/01/2017 - 14:12
Decan
HRW: Serious human rights abuses persisted in Kosovo in 2016
'Provocative' train from Serbia stopped before entering Kosovo
EULEX investigator: Whistleblowers must be protected
The tax investigator who revealed a large scale tax evasion scheme in ...
"Pronto!" Kosovo protesters are calling for an end to corruption
Leaked wiretaps revealed cronyism in Kosovo institutions and led to ci...
59 Kosovo Police officers arrested
After a four-month investigation, the Kosovo Police Inspectorate has d...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2021&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=450
Bill Information - History
Senate Bill 450; Regular Session 2021-2022
YAW, ARGALL, VOGEL, PITTMAN, MENSCH, GORDNER, BAKER and STEFANO
Printer's No.(PN):
1384*, 1227, 534
An Act amending the act of June 30, 1987 (P.L.163, No.16), known as the Rural Pennsylvania Revitalization Act, in Center for Rural Pennsylvania, further providing for board of directors; and making a repeal.
PN 0534
Referred to AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, April 9, 2021
Reported as amended, Nov. 10, 2021
First consideration, Nov. 10, 2021
Second consideration, Dec. 15, 2021
Third consideration and final passage, Jan. 18, 2022 (49-0)
Referred to AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, Jan. 21, 2022
Reported as amended, Feb. 8, 2022
First consideration, Feb. 8, 2022
Laid on the table, Feb. 8, 2022
Removed from table, April 26, 2022
Second consideration, April 27, 2022
Re-referred to APPROPRIATIONS, April 27, 2022
How to Read a Bill About PDF Documents


text:
Home Features Leif Olsen
Leif Olsen
by Patrick Wagner May 9, 2017
written by Patrick Wagner May 9, 2017
Eventually, everybody in the cannabis industry comes in contact with Leif Olsen.
Over the past decade and across more than 14 states, the managing partner of Denver-based Good To Great Consulting has won licenses in competitive markets, designed numerous dispensaries and consulted for operations ranging from the deserts of Arizona to the tundra of Alaska. Olsen also has worked under both the stringent regulations in the Northeast and the constantly evolving recreational markets in the West.
Or as he puts it: "I did a lot of fun stuff in the emerging market."
Olsen's success could be traced back to his previous life in the service industry, where managers are expected to know how to the ins and outs of every employee's position. Olsen says he was looking for "greener pastures" when he became a medical marijuana patient in Colorado, but underwhelming dispensary offerings at the time convinced him that he could do better.
"I was very unimpressed with what they had out there as a model," Olsen says. "There was no focus on women or seniors, so I set out to create a model to appeal to those groups and deliver high-quality service and product."
Along with his business partner, Olsen opened Kind Love, a vertically integrated dispensary Denver. At the time, Olsen says his cannabis experience was limited to that of an enthusiast at best. With his background in the service industry, he felt it would be important to understand each employee's role within the company. Learning the cannabis industry became an ongoing project, as the market developed and demands changed, Olsen and his team responded in kind.
"I definitely don't come from a pharma background," he says, so the learning curve was steep. "But we grew 100% of the products. So, if we saw something particularly compelling we would pick it up."
The dispensary eventually grew to house an 80,000-square-foot indoor cultivation facility — one of the largest in Denver at that time. The business won numerous awards for both the dispensary and its strains and the success drew attention to Olsen and his team.
"We started talking to a lot of individuals and groups from other states and realized that we had a lot of value outside of Colorado," he says. "We understood how things should be done."
A compelling offer from an investor led to the formation of Good To Great Consulting. The firm quickly had Olsen traveling across the U.S. helping to streamline other facilities in their infancy and talking with local press about developing markets.
"We do design work, application, dispensary design, develop outreach programs to educate doctors," Olsen says. "We recently helped develop a 'just the facts' program for doctors. We love to improve our methodology in building these systems and designs, but we also want to make sure that we are taking what has worked well in the past over to other states."
[contextly_auto_sidebar]
AlaskaArizonaDenverKind LoveMedicalU.S.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Patrick Wagner
Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board Q&A
Focus on: Washington
Election 2020: A Clean Sweep for Cannabis
Taking the heat, staying in the kitchen
Focus on Colorado: Buzz-worthy
Q&A: Marijuana Enforcement Division


text:
HomeNewsMercedes Benz unveils EQT electric van concept, set to launch next year
Mercedes Benz unveils EQT electric van concept, set to launch next year
May 10, 2021 Darryn John News 0
Mercedes Benz continues to expand their lineup of electric vehicles (EVs) with the addition of a new concept electric van – the EQT.
The EQT will be the German automakers first entry into the world of minivans, describing the concept EQT as a premium vehicle in the small van segment.
"We are expanding our portfolio in the small van segment with the forthcoming T-Class. It will appeal to families and all those private customers, whatever their age, who enjoy leisure activities and need a lot of space and maximum variability without forgoing comfort and style," said Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.
Although still a concept, initial images released by Mercedes Benz show a very production-ready looking car. The concept has sliding doors on both sides for easy entry. The open doors provide a large opening which Mercedes says allows for easy access to the foldable third row, even for "full-sized individuals."
The interior looks much like other recent electric offerings from Mercedes Benz with an array of LED lights, a digital instrument cluster MBUX interface, and well-appointed finishes. The main display is quite small though, especially when considering the massive 56″ Hyperscreen in the EQS.
From the outside the van appears longer than it actually is thanks to its bottleneck design that tapers from the front to the rear. At the front the van has the instantly recognizable three pointed star surrounded by an array of differently sized stars that create a 3D effect. The concept is outfitted with large 21″ wheels and a large panoramic roof.
There were no technical specifications provided for the EQT like battery size and potential range. Only some preliminary dimensions (length/width/height: 4,945/1,863/1,826 millimetres).
Mercedes Benz plans to launch the EQT sometime in 2022.
NTSB preliminary report into Texas crash says Autosteer could not be activated at crash location
Tesla Solar and Powerwalls to be installed at Affinor Growers' vertical farming operations in Vancouver
Mercedes and Rivian partner on EV van production in Europe
September 8, 2022 Scott Nordlund News 0
Mercedes-Benz and Rivian announced the two companies are forming a strategic partnership to produce electric vans in Europe. The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding subject to final, binding agreements and regulatory clearances. The […]
It's not just Tesla – other automakers shipping cars without heated seats, touchscreen functionality and more
November 15, 2021 Darryn John News 0
Tesla made headlines last week for delivering cars without USB-C ports in the center console. The missing parts are due to the global chip shortage, and will be added free of charge when they arrive […]
Tesla outsells BMW in luxury U.S. sales for 2021
January 27, 2022 Darryn John News 0
It looks like Tesla did outsell BMW and take the title of top selling luxury car brand in the United States for 2021, regardless or powertrain. The latest data from Cox Automotive shows Tesla sold […]


text:
A German Armaments Manufacturer in Oldham During World War One
by Dorothy Bintley
Johannes Georg Wilhelm Gruban was born in Schweinitz, Prussia on February 23rd 1872 to Wilhelm and Emilie Gruban.
In 1891 when he was 19 he was conscripted into the German Army and served for 13 months. On being released in 1892 he moved to London with a job as agent for Kirchner, a German armaments company. This was the start of his permanent residence in England, he anglicised his name to John George William Gruban. He visited Germany from time to time and in 1902 he married Margaret Huldechinsky in Berlin, she came to live with him in London.
In 1908 he bought shares in an Oldham engineering company, Haigh & Co., which had works on Plane Street. He became the Managing Director and the company's name was changed to Haigh, Gruban & Co. Ltd. His German employers, Kirchner, claimed that his contract with them prevented him from competing with them via a rival company so they issued a writ to restrain him. They had stopped paying him but eventually Gruban won and they had to reimburse him 20,000 marks. He invested this in Haigh, Gruban & Co together with some money he received from his father in law. From 1908 Gruban and his wife took up residence in Oldham, moving in 1913 to live in Bardsley House just over the border in Ashton under Lyne. Liselotte May was born in 1912, Eileen Olga in 1913 and John Douglas in 1915.
By 1914 Gruban had lived in England for over 20 years but had not become a British citizen, with war looming he applied for naturalisation which was granted on August 29th 1914, unusual timing for a man in his position. This started the rumour mills going; a German running a British engineering company which manufactured, among other things, machinery used to make armaments.
Page from Naturalisation Documents
The Reform Club in Oldham
Signatures on the Petition
On October 13th 1914 Oldham Reform Club sent a petition to the Home Office signed by forty one Oldham men:
"To His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department
We the undersigned Citizens of Oldham feel most strongly that a Commercial Man in Oldham, namely Mr J.G.W. Gruban of Bardsley House nr Oldham, and of the firm of Messrs. W.B. Haigh, Gruban & Co. who, until recently was a German subject and reported to be an Officer of the German Army, has been enabled to obtain, apparently through financial interests, naturalization papers.
Other Germans, less influentially placed, have quite rightly been put under restraint.
This man is directly responsible for the introduction of a large number of German Workmen into the neighbourhood. If he had British interests at heart, why did he not take out naturalization papers before war was declared? We feel that the fact that this man being at large might well be a menace to the welfare of Britain.
We are strongly of the opinion that he ought to be removed from the possibility of active operations and most respectfully ask the Home Department to investigate most carefully the circumstances.
The reason he got his naturalization papers was on the information that he was a large Employer of British labour.
He is the Managing Director of the concern, and his removal would not affect the works, in the way of stoppage, as it is one of very old standing and bore a good English name prior to his advent."
The Reform Club's petition was marked "This document is strictly private and confidential" but clearly Gruban heard about it and on October 21st 1914 he sent his own letter to the Home Office:
"Globe Ironworks
Plane Street
The Right Honourable Reginald McKenna
Numerous prominent members of the Liberal Club (Reform Club), of the Conservative Club and of the Labour Party, have brought it to my knowledge that in pursuance of an agitation a petition has been presented to His Majesty's Home Office, directed against my naturalization as a British subject.
I am informed that the petition is principally due to the efforts of:
a. Trade adversaries (T. & R. Lees of Hollinwood)
b. A firm of Iron founders with whom my firm had serious litigation regarding a breach of contract (Hall & Co. Ltd, principal Mr. Lees Hall).
The statements therein are entirely without foundation, and are as follows:
1. That I have, or may been, a German Officer.
My reply: I have never held such a position, and beg to humbly refer to the declarations on my application for naturalization which have been fully substantiated.
2. That this firm - W. B. Haigh, Gruban & Co. Ltd. - was either wholly or partially using German castings.
My reply: We do not import and have never imported at any time an ounce of German cast iron (castings) for the manufacture of our machines.
3. That most or part of the workmen are German workmen.
My reply: Out of about 300 men in the works, we have never had more than one German workman at any time; not simultaneously but following each other. Only two German workmen were thus employed during the 7 years, and both were elderly men who had lived in England for practically 20 years, and they held special positions due to their experience.
4. That we imported principally German machines, to the detriment of labour here.
My reply: This is directly opposed to facts, as the steady and immense growth of our Wages Bill and of the British men employed in these works will prove. No German or American machines have been brought to these works at any time except for the purpose of studying the latest inventions, with one object alone, viz: to appropriate these inventions as quickly as possible for the benefit of our own firm, and to become a world's competitor of American and German firms in our branch of engineering as quickly as possible.
5. That Englishmen were discharged to make room for Germans.
My reply: This is wholly untrue. As our Continental Export Department is entirely new, we employed in this department from two to four foreign clerks - (all of whom have left this firm) as we had to conduct our correspondence in five different languages, thus achieving our aim of capturing foreign trade more quickly, and more thoroughly than it would have been the case under ordinary conditions. In no case however have these German clerks taken the place of Englishmen. To the contrary, they were instrumental in establishing a new (Continental) Export Department, for the benefit of our British workmen.
6. That my naturalization was applied for to protect financial interests only.
My reply: This is contrary to facts, and I refer to my application for naturalization. A very large amount of share capital which was formerly worthless, and held by a large number of British subjects has become worth par as a consequence of the rapid growth and development of the firm in the last seven years.
I humbly beg to inform Your Excellency that conclusive facts relating to all the above are in preparation, together with petitions of gentlemen who really and actually are most intimately acquainted not only with myself, but with this firm.
The completion of these must necessarily take a few days, when they will be delivered without delay.
I am, Sir,
Your most obedient servant
J. G. W. Gruban
The workers of W. B. Haigh, Gruban & Co. Ltd. held a meeting and on October 24th 1914 sent a petition to the Home Office supporting their Managing Director:
The Right Honourable Reginald McKenna Esq., M.P.
Secretary of State for the Home Department
LONDON S.W.
We, the undersigned workmen, foreman and works employees of W.B. Haigh, Gruban & Company Limited Manufacturers of Sawmill and Woodworking Machines Globe Ironworks Oldham Respectfully beg to make the following statements:
Certain statements have been freely circulated in this town respecting our firm, and especially our Managing Director, Mr J.G.W. Gruban - statements which are incorrect in substance and fact and which are keenly resented by us.
We have therefore held a shop meeting today of all the workmen (excluding apprentices) in a simple plain manner, with the object of taking action against a continuance of these falsehoods being circulated, and as the obvious object is to damage Mr Gruban's position as a naturalised British citizen, to bring the true facts which are within our own personal knowledge as workmen of the firm, to your notice, viz:
1 It has been freely circulated that the bulk of the raw material used in the manufacture of our machines has been imported from Germany, and that our machines were built of German cast iron.
The true facts:- Not an once of casting has ever been imported from Germany, but they have always been supplied by well known English foundries.
2 It has been circulated that the bulk or a large portion of the workmen employed here were Germans, statements having been wilfully spread in the town that on the day of the outbreak of the war Germans and Austrians, workmen and mechanics, the reports varying from 50, 80, 100 and 200 had been discharged on one day.
The true facts:- During the seven years Mr Gruban has been the head of the firm, we have only seen two German workers inside this works, one an elderly man of about 58, employed as a packer, and the second a machinery demonstrator for special work, for which previously the firm had several Americans. This man was also out of military age, and according to his statement had been married for over 15 years to an English lady. No manager's or foreman's position or position of fitter, turner, planer, in the works has ever been filled by a German.
3 It has been circulated that our own British manufacture was gradually subdued, and reduced more and more by the Managing Director having imported in increasing numbers foreign machinery with the object of ultimately wiping out our manufacturers.
The true facts are the exact reverse. Our own manufacture has grown within the seven years by leaps and bounds, giving employment to an ever increasing number of skilled workmen. The growth is phenomenal. The plant of machinery has also been largely renewed and brought up to date. We have also seen brought into these works during these seven years a considerable number of foreign machines of a novel type, not only German, but American, Canadian, Belgian and French, leading invariably one by one to additions and improvements of our older types, and the manufacture of one by one of these novel machines was taken up by our own firm, and then the import of these sample machines was stopped, and the manufacture taken up in our own works, leading to a proportionate increase of our work and number of men employed.
The importations of these foreign machines have steadily decreased until in the Spring of this year they had become practically nil.
Many of us have met and come into personal contact with Mr Gruban during these seven years. We have never observed in his attitude that he has given preference to foreigners; on the contrary, all his efforts were obviously directed to the pushing ahead of our own plant and our own machines, and bringing the reputation of the British built goods of ours in the world's markets to the highest standard. Several years ago when the firm was altered to the name W.B. Haigh, Gruban & Company Limited, we accepted this as evidence that Mr Gruban was to be one of us for all times.
The undersigned have therefore passed the following resolution unanimously at their meeting;-
That the meeting of the men employed by the above firm hereby assembled strongly resent and repudiate the several false statements circulated in town and district.
That the facts as recorded above are the true facts within our knowledge.
And that a vote of confidence be passed in Mr. Gruban and the firm, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Home Office and to the press in Oldham and Manchester.
We are, Sir, Your most obedient servants."
[134 signatories]
By the middle of 1915 there was a serious shortage of shells for the war effort, one of the specialities of Gruban's company was the manufacture of lathes used in the production of shells but he needed to raise funds to expand the business so he turned to Frederick Handel Booth, the Liberal MP for Pontefract. He had been introduced to Booth socially a few months previously, at that time Booth had said he could understand the difficulties of Gruban's position since his own wife was of German extraction; her father was a German who had taken up British Citizenship and her mother was born in Amsterdam. Booth further went on to say that he knew David Lloyd George well and had influence over him. In May 1915 Lloyd George was appointed head of the new Ministry of Munitions.
Things became even more difficult for Gruban after May 7th 1915 when German U-boats torpedoed RMS Lusitania and anti-German sentiments rose. On May 11th the men at Haigh, Gruban & Co came out on strike for a few hours objecting to working with a German who was employed as a fitter. The man was a registered alien, aged about 45 and married to an English woman. Gruban dismissed the man and the workers ended their demonstration but he felt that his own German roots would harm his business so, impressed by Booth's claim of friends in high places, he turned to him. Booth promised to raise cash to inject into the company and on July 16th 1915 he was appointed the chairman of Haigh, Gruban and Company Ltd. There were soon arguments between the two men about payment of allowances and the Ministry of Munitions began to express dissatisfaction about the running of the company and about Gruban's perceived German loyalties. Booth persuaded Gruban that the only way forward was for him to transfer the company and all his shares to Booth and this was done.
As soon as Booth had control of the company he turned on Gruban, writing letters to the Ministry of Munitions and the Home Office alleging that in spite of his naturalisation Gruban was a dangerous alien who should be interned.
Lewis Ransome, the head of a rival engineering company based in Ipswich, wrote to the Ministry of Munitions in November 1915 to make sure they knew that Gruban was recently naturalised and was originally German. "Haigh, Gruban & Co are competitors of my firm," he wrote, "I hope you will not misconstrue my motives in drawing your attention to this matter."
Gruban was a member of the Oldham Munitions Tribunal. Someone, possibly a junior member of the ministry, wrote in the margin of Ransome's letter "he should keep his seat" but Christopher Addison who was deputy to Lloyd George, wrote "I think not." It can be no coincidence that later that month Gruban resigned his position on the Oldham Munitions Tribunal saying, "… my time is taxed to the utmost."
One of Gruban's former friends, E. N. Cooper, submitted a document to the Home Office in March 1916, calling into question Gruban's loyalty to Britain. He first quoted from a letter he had written to the Minister of Munitions:
"I have been up to October 1914, in almost daily contact in business and private life with Gruban for over 13 years. He is a typical German with all their strong points, weaknesses and defects of character.
His sympathies remain German notwithstanding any statements he may have made.
His principles and commercial morality are of a low order and his system of conducting business is largely through espionage.
There is trustworthy evidence that there was always in Gruban's employ a large number of Germans, usually quite young fellows who were serving or had served in the German army. These men drew small salaries and were subsidised by some Institution in Germany.
They attended office as they thought fit, were allowed frequent leave to Germany and to visit the German Consul in Manchester and were paid privately by Gruban, not by the firm's cashier.
Gruban himself used to make two or three visits every year to Germany nominally on business … he continually had three German clerks (often men who could not speak a word of English) writing letters in German to Germany, correspondence not filed with that of the firm but kept by him under lock and key.
It was stated that one of these men told Gruban to sit down and remember that he was his superior officer. Gruban at once sat down.
Gruban always spoke disparagingly of everything British. In November 1911 he said to a British employee "Your King and Queen are very nice but not equal to our Kaiser" At Christmas 1912 he had a party at his house and sang "Deutschland uber Alles" and other national songs with his German employees.
On the 3rd October 1914 he informed a former employee that his newly opened branches in Germany were getting along all right and were being properly protected by the Government. He said, "You know how I manage these things."
A present employee of the firm has reported confidentially that Gruban arranged with a German girl called SCHUTTE, who left at the outbreak of war, to get money from German debtors and to correspond with him by means of a code. This employee saw towards the end of February 1916, a letter in this girl's writing on Gruban's desk with a Dutch stamp and the postmark Gravenhagen (or something like that).
His firm have been engaged in the manufacture of machines for munition work In this capacity he has caused grave dissatisfaction to the Ministry of Munitions."
Gruban's former friend went on to quote the reply he received from the Minister of Munitions:
"The Ministry of Munitions have decided in the interests of the output of munitions of war to appoint a supervisor to take charge of Messrs. Haigh, Gruban's business. The reasons for this decision are as follows:
1. The firm have frequently furnished incorrect information to the Ministry of Munitions.
2. They have frequently and deliberately ignored the instructions given by the Ministry for the purpose of expediting the output of machine tools.
3. They have instructed their sub-contractors to disobey the instructions of the Ministry.
4. There is a very strong presumption that they have deliberately attempted by various subterfuges to evade the regulations of the Ministry of Munitions as to the limitations of profits.
5. There is definite proof in some cases, and strong presumption in others, of acts of commercial dishonesty on the part of Mr. Gruban: for example, there is definite proof that.
Mr Gruban himself arranged for the payment of secret commissions to individual members of firms with which he was dealing.
The Ministry of Munitions are reluctant to take over the firm under the Defence of the Realm Regulations and have decided to appoint a supervisor. He will have no power to exclude Mr Gruban from the works until he commits some definite overt act of disobedience to his instructions, but it is, in the opinion of the Ministry, exceedingly probable that if Mr Gruban is left at large he will be able, and will endeavour to interfere with the management of the firm in such a way as to hinder the output of munitions. In the opinion of the Ministry, it is very desirable in the interests of the output of munitions that Mr Gruban should be interned. In this connection, it is important to remember that in the performance of his business he has been in a position to obtain information about the supply of munitions, the location of munition works and other matters affecting munitions of war which would be of considerable value to the enemy: for instance, he has necessarily had access to Woolwich Arsenal and other Government and private factories. This consideration appears to make it very desirable that he should not be left, since if he possesses any feelings of hostility towards this country they will naturally be accentuated by the action of the Ministry intervening in the management of his firm."
Up to the time of the outbreak of war Gruban was German by nationality and, there is no reason to doubt, also by sentiment. It is impossible to believe that the outbreak of war has made any change in his sympathies. It is clear that he is an able and unscrupulous man, and as is pointed out by the Ministry of Munitions, he has necessarily a very extensive knowledge of war in this country.
In the circumstances it is clear that while at large he is a danger to the public safety and it is recommended that he should be interned."
The order for Gruban's internment was made by the Secretary of State for the Home Office on March 25th 1916. Gruban and his lawyers appealed but on April 19th he was arrested in Oldham by the local police and escorted by train to St Mary's Institution, Cornwallis Road, Islington, a former workhouse which now served as an internment camp. Gruban's lawyers continued to protest about the internment and on May 16th he was granted bail in the sum of £250 and allowed to move to the Kenilworth Hotel in London. The conditions of his internment were that he resided only at a place approved by the Secretary of State, that he did not travel more than 20 miles without permission and that he did not own a motor car. The internment orders were completely revoked on August 2nd 1916 leaving Gruban free to consider what action he should take against Booth, who in his opinion had stolen Haigh, Gruban & Co. from him. He and his family took up residence in Kent, his wife declaring that she never wanted to visit Oldham again.
Since July 1915, when he had been more or less forced to hand Haigh, Gruban and Co. to Handel Booth, Gruban had received no income from the company. Even after the internment restrictions had been set on Gruban, tBooth continuedo write to the Home Office. In a letter of June 6th 1916 on the company's headed notepaper he stated:
"It is beyond doubt that Gruban conducted a considerable sale of German machines through this company from 1909 to 1913. Many of these machines were sold as of British make … In view of this continuous and colossal fraud (which was unpatriotic and a gross misuse of our relations with Dominions beyond the seas) I need only express my opinion that it would be most dangerous to place Gruban in a position that he could escape to his native land."
Now that he was free from internment Gruban sought to regain control of the company and the case of Gruban v Booth opened at the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in London on May 7th 1917, Gruban was suing Booth for having fraudulently deprived him of his business in Oldham. It was a very high profile case and attracted huge public interest; John George William Gruban, a German business man with interests in munitions against Handel Booth MP who claimed to have influence over David Lloyd George.
The case lasted five days and many column inches in the national newspapers were given over to it. It attracted so much attention from reporters and members of the legal fraternity that the participants found it physically difficult to get into court each day. Although both parties were represented by eminent barristers of the day - Gruban by Patrick Hastings and Hubert Wallington, Booth by Rigby Swift and Douglas Hogg - the case was almost entirely one sided. On the fifth day the jury took just ten minutes to find in favour of Gruban and awarded him £4,750 damages. Booth appealed the damages but before the appeal could be heard in court the two sides agreed that Booth would pay Gruban £3,900.
Handel Booth's Public Capitulation
Gruban Document Files at The National Archives
© Dorothy Bintley


text:
The Right to Charging Infrastructure
Expert Interview – Thursday, February 04, 2021
Power2Drive Interview with lawyers Dr. Karla Klasen and Dr. Alexander Dlouhy from Osborne Clarke and Markus Emmert, member of the board of directors at the German Federal Association for eMobility
The reform of the German Act on the Ownership of Apartments and the Permanent Residential Right (WEG) has meant that since the end of last year, apartment owners and tenants in Germany can more easily install charging facilities for their electric vehicles. Furthermore, the draft of the Building Electromobility Infrastructure Act (GEIG) and the planned reform of the Charging Station Ordinance aim to expand charging infrastructure. But some questions still remain.
Lawyers Dr. Karla Klasen and Dr. Alexander Dlouhy from Osborne Clarke and Markus Emmert from the German Federal Association for eMobility offer their answers. You can find more detailed information by viewing our free The smarter E webinar "Charging infrastructure in Germany: Law and Practice" in our archive located here .
Would the establishment of communally owned charging infrastructure which could be used by all co-owners meet these co-owners' entitlement in accordance with the new WEG?
Dlouhy/Klasen: That cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." The relevant background information is that each apartment owner can request reasonable structural changes for purposes of electric vehicle charging. In principle, a co-owner is said to only be entitled to make such a request if they own a parking spot which is not yet equipped with a charging station.
If there are already charging stations available at the parking spaces, then the question remains of in which situations an apartment owner is allowed to use the charging infrastructure. However, if the infrastructure is limited in its capacity, an apartment owner can claim entitlement to charging station upgrades. In general, the demand for expansion of existing infrastructure can also be rejected if it is deemed unreasonable. Whether or not that is the case can only be determined in specific individual cases under consideration of all circumstances and interests.
Are tenants with parking spots in private underground garages entitled to charging stations?
Dlouhy/Klasen: As tenants, they can request permission from their lessor to make structural changes which would serve to support electric vehicle charging. Whether the lessor needs to grant approval or what type of charging infrastructure may be built is decided on a case-by-case basis, contingent upon a comprehensive balancing of interests. Incidentally, the lessor might take on the project of constructing the charging station and in return raise the rent.
Could a community of apartment owners prevent the installation of a single wall box in favor of a communal solution (charging management system)? How long can it wait to decide on a community-wide solution?
Dlouhy/Klasen: A co-owner is only entitled to decide whether an action is taken – in this case the installation of charging infrastructure. However, the WEG does not include any specific provisions about how said action is taken. This is decided by the apartment owners as part of their regular management duties.
A co-owner first has to request the installation of charging infrastructure. Then, the building manager will include a relevant resolution proposal in the agenda of the next owners' meeting if no circular resolution has been adopted. But it is worth mentioning that this act does not include any scheduling specifications. More importantly, the interests of the parties involved must be balanced – a sometimes lengthy process. Should the community of apartment owners indeed obstruct the plans, the only option left is to take the matter to court.
At an ownership rate of just over 50% in Germany, don't we need to substantially shift our focus to the expansion of charging infrastructure for public parking and charging on the roads? And what about private/public charging in retail parking lots?
Emmert: We have to shift the focus to areas where charging is generally possible and sensible. Proportionally speaking, it is simply unreasonable to set up charging points in front of every home in urban areas. Investment and installation need to be concentrated where it makes sense. Other cases require alternative solutions. After all, no one is entitled to their own private diesel or gasoline fuel pump. But users must have access to charging locations.
Urban areas in particular need to be equipped with options for quick charging. They illustrate a perfect case for high-speed charging stations – comparable with today's filling stations. For example, if a driver travels 20 km per day in an urban area – which is a lot, relatively speaking – then they could make their commute for 10 days with an electric vehicle without charging up. This person would simply need to visit a high-speed charger every 10 days for 30 minutes – or even less in the future – and would have enough power to last the next 10 days. If they were really efficient, they would combine this trip with their regular shopping. The retail sector has already recognized the opportunities presented for customer retention and is investing accordingly.
Charging at work is especially pertinent. Are you familiar with any examples of companies which have overcome the issues of accessibility and billing?
Emmert: Charging at home and at work is very important because estimates show that over 80% of charging cycles occur at these locations. But no employee parking lot is alike, meaning there is no universal blueprint. Therefore, charging points in these parking lots could fall under public charging infrastructure. And these could indeed be in employers' best interests.
This opens up the opportunity to install different types of charging stations, which we are already seeing in some situations. It is important to note that if the charging point or parking lot is only accessible to specific persons, it must be signposted accordingly. If the charging station operator bills users for consumption, statutory provisions must be observed. This could include compliance with measurement and calibration law and the Charging Station Ordinance, if applicable.
What options do employers have who don't have a physical barrier installed to restrict access to their employee parking lots? Are they forced to come up with payment options for non-employees, too?
Dlouhy/Klasen: If an employer operates a private parking lot where only employees are allowed to park, then they are not required to grant the general public access to park and charge there. Employees of a specific company do not belong to a group of people definable on the basis of general characteristics, but rather a group of people definable by individual characteristics. Therefore, the charging points in such a parking lot are not publicly accessible
charging stations as defined by the Charging Station Ordinance. The Charging Station Ordinance does not provide for the right to park! Consequently, the employer is not required by this ordinance to provide payment options. However, this is to be understood differently in the case of an employer-operated customer parking lot.
Will public charging infrastructure be required to include NFC terminals?
Dlouhy/Klasen: While the first proposal for reform of the Charging Station Ordinance made in fall 2020 indicates that card readers would need to be installed, the current reform proposal from December 2020 also allows for browser-based card payment via a free mobile website.
How does kWh-time-based payment work exactly? How can I as an operator ensure that a vehicle owner frees up a charging station once their car is finished charging? A time-based payment scheme just makes sense.
Dlouhy/Klasen: The German Price Indication Ordinance (Preisangabenverordnung) requires billing according to kWh. But additional charges for registration or parking or even basic service fees can be imposed. A time-based fee could therefore be charged separately via a parking ticket system. It is not required to bill customers using two separate systems, but both price components must be disclosed separately.


text:
\section{Introduction}
The energy exchange among Rydberg atoms has garnered great interest both as a probe of fundamental quantum dynamics and as a potential way to model other physical systems. The strong dipolar interactions among Rydberg atoms can block all but one excitation in a group of atoms, leading to a collective two-level system~\cite{lukin_dipole_2001,gaetan_observation_2009,urban_observation_2009}. These ``super-atoms'', which could be used as qubits, have recently been observed and characterized~\cite{zeiher_microscopic_2015,weber_mesoscopic_2015}. The control of Rydberg atoms has also made progress at the single atom level. Coherent coupling between a pair of Rydberg atoms was directly measured revealing both the $1/r^3$ dependence of the dipole-dipole interaction and the $1/r^6$ dependence of the van der Waals interactions~\cite{ravets_coherent_2014,beguin_direct_2013}. Systems of Rydberg atoms have been proposed as quantum simulators of frustrated magnets and ``quantum spin ices''~\cite{glaetzle_quantum_2014,glaetzle_designing_2015}. Coherent excitation hopping has been observed in a chain of three Rydberg atoms, pointing toward the use of Rydberg systems as quantum simulators of spin dynamics~\cite{barredo_coherent_2015}. The energy transport in such systems has been studied in simulation, for example by investigating the effect of randomness on energy transport in a lattice~\cite{robicheaux_effect_2014} or exploring the importance of dissipation and correlations~\cite{schempp_correlated_2015}. Understanding the dynamics of energy transport in systems of cold Rydberg atoms will be important when using these systems for quantum information tasks.

The energy exchange between a pair of Rydberg atoms is mediated by the dipole-dipole interaction,
\begin{equation}\label{eq:angdep}
V(\mathbf{r}) = \frac{\boldsymbol{\mu_1}\cdot\boldsymbol{\mu_2}-3(\boldsymbol{\mu_1}\cdot\mathbf{\hat{R}})(\boldsymbol{\mu_2}\cdot\mathbf{\hat{R}})}{R^3},
\end{equation}
where $\mathbf{R}$ is the separation vector between the atoms and $\boldsymbol{\mu_i}$ are the electric dipole matrix elements connecting the initial and final states for each atom. The external electric field fixes the quantization axis. The dependence of the interaction on $\theta$, the zenith angle between the quantization axis and $\mathbf{\hat{R}}$, arises from the second term in the numerator of Eq.~(\ref{eq:angdep})~\cite{carroll_angular_2004}. If the applied electric field is homogeneous, the three possibilities for the $\theta$ dependence are, for each possible combination of $\Delta m_{j1}$ and $\Delta m_{j2}$:
\begin{multline}
\Delta m_{j1} + \Delta m_{j2} = 0:\\
 f_0(\theta) =  (1-3\cos^2\theta)/2,\label{eq:f0}
\end{multline}
\begin{multline}
\Delta m_{j1} + \Delta m_{j2} = \pm 1:\\
f_1(\theta) = (3\sin\theta\cos\theta)/\sqrt{2},\label{eq:f1}
\end{multline}
\begin{multline}
\Delta m_{j1} + \Delta m_{j2} = \pm 2:\\
f_2(\theta) = (3\sin^2\theta)/2.\label{eq:f2}
\end{multline}

Experimental evidence for the angular dependence of the dipole-dipole interaction was presented in~\cite{carroll_angular_2004} by confining Rydberg atoms to a one dimensional sample. Recently, Ravets \textit{et al.} have directly measured the anisotropy by restricting the dipole-dipole interaction to one channel and considering only two atoms; they find good agreement with the predicted angular dependence~\cite{ravets_measurement_2015}. In a similar system of magnetic spins, the angular dependence of the  dipole-dipole interaction was observed to create an anisotropic deformation in the expansion of a Bose-Einstein condensate of chromium \cite{Stuhler_observation_2005} and dysprosium~\cite {lu_strongly_2011}.  An Erbium condensate exhibited a d-wave collapse when the scattering length was tuned below a critical value using a Feschbach resonance~\cite{aikawa_bose-einstein_2012}.

A number of recent experiments have studied Rydberg systems by imaging the spatial distribution of Rydberg atoms as a function of time. If the imaging technique is state selective, such experiments can measure the spatial and temporal dependence of the energy transport. Imaging experiments have been used to study correlations due to the dipole blockade~\cite{schwarzkopf_imaging_2011,schwarzkopf_spatial_2013}. The evolution of a cloud of Rydberg atoms toward an ultracold plasma has been imaged by scattering light from core ions~\cite{mcquillen_imaging_2013}. The diffusion of energy throughout an ultracold gas of Rydberg atoms has been observed, with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to extract a diffusion rate~\cite{gunter_observing_2013}. The exchange of energy between two spatially separated groups of atoms has been imaged~\cite{fahey_imaging_2015}.

Motivated by recent imaging results, we simulate the time evolution of the energy exchange among Rydberg atoms by numerically solving the Schr\"{o}dinger equation. Our model includes the full angular dependence of the dipole-dipole interaction in the many atom regime. With relatively simple and experimentally accessible geometries, we find that it should be possible to observe the effect of the anisotropy on the energy transport.

\section{Model}

We consider an amorphous sample of Rydberg atoms in the presence of a static electric field. For concreteness, we focus our attention on the energy exchange
\begin{equation}\label{eq:ddsp}
p_{3/2,|m_j|=3/2} + s_{1/2} \rightarrow s_{1/2} + p_{3/2,|m_j|=3/2},
\end{equation}
which is often called the always resonant channel as the interaction can proceed regardless of the value of the external electric field, though a field inhomogeneity can shift this interaction away from resonance~\cite{fahey_imaging_2015}. An example is shown in the Stark map of Fig.~\ref{fig:starkmap} for Rb $39s_{1/2}$ and $39p_{3/2}$ states. This interaction is advantageous because it has large dipole moments ($\sim$800~$ea_0$) and does not require precise tuning of the electric field.

Since the $s$ atoms have $|m_j|=1/2$ then $\Delta m_j$ cannot be zero for either atom. Thus the sum $\Delta m_{j1} + \Delta m_{j2} = 0$ or $\pm 2$ but the $\pm 1$ case is eliminated. By choosing the direction of an applied static electric field we fix the quantization axis and hence the relative orientation angle of the Rydberg atoms. Because of the anisotropy of Eq.~(\ref{eq:f0}) and Eq.~(\ref{eq:f2}), the energy transport will be more efficient for particular relative orientation angles. The interaction between the atoms will be strongest when $\theta = \pi/2$.

Experimentally, one could selectively excite the $ p_{3/2,|m_j|=3/2}$ state by applying a small electric field, which splits the two $|m_j|$ states.  One caution is that at low applied fields the $p_{3/2},|m_j|=1/2$ state is close in energy to the $|m_j|=3/2$ state. In this case the $s_{1/2}$ state could couple off-resonantly by the interaction
\begin{equation}
p_{3/2,|m_j|=3/2} + s_{1/2} \rightarrow s_{1/2} + p_{3/2,|m_j|=1/2}.
\end{equation}
This would introduce the possibility of $\Delta m_j = \pm 1$ interactions, which would diminish the visibility of the anisotropic energy transport as there would no longer be a preferred angle.

\begin{figure}
	\includegraphics{starkmap.eps}
	\caption{\label{fig:starkmap} (color online) Stark map showing an example of the dipole-dipole interaction $s + p \rightarrow p + s$. This energy exchange is ``always resonant'' provided that the applied static electric field is spatially homogeneous.}
\end{figure}

In order to maximize the number of $s$ and $p$ atoms that we can model, we do not include the ground state or interaction with the excitation lasers. Energy exchange during the laser excitation has been shown to play a role in the observed state mixing in some experiments~\cite{younge_mesoscopic_2009}. In our model, we consider relatively short excitation pulses that provide a well-defined starting time for the interaction and minimal opportunity for dipole-dipole energy exchange during excitation.

The Hamiltonian for our system in a homogeneous electric field is
\begin{multline}\label{eq:ham}
\hat{H}_{ij}=\sum_{i\ne j} \frac{\mu^2}{R_{ij}^3}
\biggl[f_0(\theta)\bigl(\hat{\sigma}^i_{p+s+}\hat{\sigma}^j_{s+p+} +
\hat{\sigma}^i_{p-s-}\hat{\sigma}^j_{s-p-}\bigr) +\\
f_2(\theta)\bigl(\hat{\sigma}^i_{p+s+}\hat{\sigma}^j_{s-p-} +
\hat{\sigma}^i_{p-s-}\hat{\sigma}^j_{s+p+} \bigr)+ \mathrm{H.c.}\biggr],
\end{multline}
where $\mu$ is the dipole moment connecting the $s$ and $p$ states, $R_{ij}$ is the distance between the $i^{th}$ and $j^{th}$ atoms, and $\hat{\sigma}^i_{x\pm y\pm}$ is an operator that changes the state of the $i^{th}$ atom from $\ket{x\pm}$ to $\ket{y\pm}$. The plus and minus signs denote the positive and negative values of $m_j$ for each state; for example, $\hat{\sigma}_{p+s+}$ takes an atom from $\ket{p_{3/2},m_j=+3/2}$ to $\ket{s_{1/2}, m_j=+1/2}$.

The Hamiltonian matrix generated by Eq.~(\ref{eq:ham}) will be quite large even for relatively small numbers of atoms because we must include all possible $m_j$ states for each atom. The size of the matrix is
\begin{equation}
N = {n \choose n_s}2^n,
\end{equation}
where $n$ is the total number of atoms and $n_s$ is the number of $s$ atoms. We consider our initial state to be a superposition of all possible $m_j$ states for our initially excited population of $s$ and $p$ atoms. Since we are modeling an amorphous sample and wish to average over both space and time, we simulate thousands of instances. With available local and NSF XSEDE~\cite{towns_xsede:_2014} supercomputing resources, we can achieve this for matrices $N \lesssim 10^5$. Given this practical limit, if we simulate 3 $p$ atoms we can include at most 6 additional $s$ atoms. For one or two $p$ atoms we can include up to 11 or 8 $s$ atoms, respectively. In this work, we include cases the following cases: one $p$ atom with 6, 7, 8, and 9 $s$ atoms and two $p$ atoms with 5, 6, 7, and 8 $s$ atoms.

\section{Results and Discussion}

We model two geometries, both of which localize a small number of $p$ atoms in a larger group of $s$ atoms. We consider a sphere of $p$ atoms localized at the end of a long and narrow cylinder of $s$ atoms. This restricts the energy transport to a roughly one dimensional geometry. We also consider a thin disc of $s$ atoms with a small region of $p$ atoms in the center, which allows us to image energy transport in two dimensions.

In each case we simulate the time evolution in steps of $<0.1$~$\mu$s. At each time step, we store the probability for each atom to be in either the $s$ or the $p$ state. We average the results of multiple runs together by binning the probabilities by the atom's position. This generates a map of the energy transport as a function of position, as shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl} and Fig.~\ref{fig:disc}.

\subsection{One dimensional case: cylindrical geometry}

We randomly place $p$ atoms in a spherical volume of diameter 10~$\mu$m. The spherical volume is at one end of a cylinder of the same diameter and length 60~$\mu$m, in which we randomly place $s$ atoms. Such a configuration could be achieved with a multi-step excitation such as the one described in~\cite{fahey_excitation_2011}. The overlap of two perpendicular laser beams used to excite $p$ atoms would define a localized volume represented by our spherical volume. Another laser beam, collinear with one of the $p$-excitation beams and exciting $s$ atoms, would define a roughly cylindrical volume.

Since $\Delta m_j \ne 0$, the angular dependence of Eq.~(\ref{eq:f1}) is not possible and the only $\theta$ dependence is from Eq.~(\ref{eq:f0}) or Eq.~(\ref{eq:f2}). If the electric field is perpendicular to our cylinder, then $\theta$ for a given pair of atoms is likely to be near $\pi/2$. At this angle the magnitude of Eq.~(\ref{eq:f0}) is $f_0(\pi/2)=1/2$ and the magnitude of Eq.~(\ref{eq:f2}) is at a maximum value $f_2(\pi/2)=3/2$.

If the electric field is parallel to our cylinder, then $\theta$ for a given pair of atoms is likely to be near zero. At this angle the magnitude of Eq.~(\ref{eq:f0}) is $f_0(\pi/2)=-1$ while the magnitude of Eq.~(\ref{eq:f2}) is at a minimum value $f_2(\pi/2)=0$. The contribution of the angular dependence to the overall coupling between the atoms is on average larger for angles near $\pi/2$. Thus, we expect that for a perpendicular field we should have more efficient energy transport along the cylinder.

\begin{figure}
	\includegraphics{lineImages.eps}
	\caption{\label{fig:cyl} (color online)  Expansion of $p$ character from the initial spherical volume at left into the cylindrical volume initially populated with only $s$ atoms. The probability of detecting a $p$ atom at a position is normalized to the number of atoms excited at that position over all simulation runs. The color scale is given by the legend, with redder colors indicating more $p$ character and bluer colors indicating less $p$ character. Horizontally adjacent images are generated at the same time step for direct comparison. (a) The expansion when an electric field $E_0\hat{r}$ (perpendicular to the beam) is applied. (b) The expansion when an electric field $E_0\hat{z}$ (along the beam) is applied. The expansion in the axial case is evidently slower than the expansion in the perpendicular case due to the angular dependence of the energy exchange. Note that the color scale has been chosen to enhance contrast at low probability.}
\end{figure}

We run our simulation both for the case of an electric field parallel to the cylindrical excitation volume, $\vec{E}=E_0\hat{z}$, and an electric field perpendicular to the cylindrical excitation volume, $\vec{E}=E_0\hat{r}$. The results are shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl}, where all different simulation cases are averaged. Each column in Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl} shows the diffusion of $p$ character along the cylinder at four different times. The diffusion is clearly faster in the case of a perpendicular field (Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl}(a)) as compared to the case of a parallel field (Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl}(b)).

It is interesting to note that there is not much difference in the total energy exchange between these two cases. At positions near the right end of the cylinder, there is more $p$ character in Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl}(a). For positions near the left end of the cylinder, there is more $p$ character in Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl}(b). This is because pairs of atoms comprised of a $p$ atom in the initially populated sphere and a nearby $s$ atom will not have their relative orientation angle constrained by the cylindrical geometry. In both cases of field direction, these pairs of atoms should exchange energy efficiently. However, for the case of Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl}(a), initial $s$ atoms near the left end of the cylinder that have mixed with significant $p$ character can more efficiently transport their energy farther along the cylinder.

One of the striking features of Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl}(a) and (b) is that the energy transport does not proceed very far down the cylinder. The color scale is chosen to enhance the contrast at the low probability end of the scale; considering this there is evidently little change between $t=0.5~\mu$s and $t=5.0~\mu$s.

\begin{figure}
	\includegraphics{andloc.eps}
	\caption{\label{fig:aloc} (color online)  (a) Integrated probability of detecting a $p$ atom as a function of position along the length of the cylinder for the case which includes 2 $p$ atoms and 8 $s$ atoms. Most of the expansion of $p$ probability happens in the first microsecond, with little subsequent change. (b) Width as a function of time for the distribution shown in (a) and other selected cases. The width is measured at $0.2~\times$ maximum height so as to be sensitive to the small changes in the $p$ probability at large $z$. The rapid change at early times plateaus sharply suggesting localization. The electric field in both (a) and (b) is in the $\hat{r}$ direction, as in Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl}(a).}
\end{figure}

We examine this more quantitatively in Fig.~\ref{fig:aloc}, where the electric field is in the transverse ($\hat{r}$) direction for all cases. For Fig.~\ref{fig:aloc}(a) we integrate the $p$ probability across the cylinder at each $z$ and this integrated $p$ probability is shown for five different times for the simulated case of 2~$p$ atoms and 8~$s$ atoms. Most of the increase in the width of the distribution occurs for $t<1$~$\mu$s. This is clearly displayed in Fig.~\ref{fig:aloc}(b) for a variety of selected cases. In all cases the width rapidly increases at early times and then sharply plateaus. While we have explored only a small region of parameter space for low numbers of atoms, a trend is visible in these results. The cases in which the ratio of $s$ atoms to $p$ atoms is largest display the flattest plateaus, while those cases with a smaller ratio still have a slight upward trend at later times.

The results of Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl} and Fig.~\ref{fig:aloc} suggest Anderson localization~\cite{anderson_absence_1958} of the $p$ character. In order to characterize the localization observed here, we numerically calculate the intensity-intensity correlation function
\begin{equation}
\langle |\psi_E(\vec{r})|^2 |\psi_E(\pvec{r}')|^2 \rangle\label{eq:corr}
\end{equation}
for each eigenfunction $\psi_E(\vec{r})$ of our system. We bin the results by energy and position from $\sim 10^4$ simulation runs for the 1~$p$ and 7~$s$ case. A portion of the resulting graph is shown in the inset of Fig.~\ref{fig:loclen}, which shows the correlation of Eq.~(\ref{eq:corr}) as a function of the distance $|\vec{r} -\pvec{r}'|$ and the binned eigenenergies. Only a narrow band of energies show any extended correlation; these data are graphed as the blue points in Fig.~\ref{fig:loclen}. The solid red line in Fig.~\ref{fig:loclen} is a fit to the function
\begin{equation}
A~ \exp\Bigl(-\frac{|\vec{r}-\pvec{r}'|}{\xi(E)}\Bigr),
\end{equation}
where $A$ is a constant and $\xi(E)$ is the localization length. The fit in Fig.~\ref{fig:loclen} yields a localization length of $\xi \sim 6.3$~$\mu$m.

\begin{figure}
	\includegraphics{localizationLength.eps}
	\caption{\label{fig:loclen} (color online) The intensity-intensity correlation of Eq.~(\ref{eq:corr}) for the narrow band of eigenenergies in the middle of the inset, which show some extended correlation. The data here are from the 1~$p$ and 7~$s$ atom case for the cylindrical geometry discussed in the text. The solid red line is a fit to an exponential decay which yields a localization length of $\sim$6.3~$\mu$m. }
\end{figure}

Robicheaux and Gill~\cite{robicheaux_effect_2014} have investigated the effects of randomness on energy transport in one, two, and three-dimensional lattices of $s$ atoms with one $p$ atom. They randomly perturbed the positions of the atoms or the filling of the lattice and then systematically studied the effect of randomness by examining the energy transport for a range of perturbation sizes. In the one-dimensional case, they find that the $p$ excitation is localized for every eigenstate even for weak randomness. The degree of localization was found to increase with the size of the random perturbation. Our amorphous system is a similar geometry to their maximally random case and our results are in general agreement with Robicheaux and Gill, though our system includes some additional randomness due to the angular dependence and the variable relative orientations of the atoms.

\subsection{Two dimensional case: disc geometry}

We randomly place $s$ atoms in a disc of diameter 60~$\mu$m and thickness 5~$\mu$m and $p$ atoms only in the central region of the disc with diameter 10~$\mu$m. We examine the energy transport when the applied electric field points perpendicular to the disc in the $z$ direction and when it points parallel to the plane of the disc in either the $x$ or $y$ direction.

\begin{figure}
	\includegraphics{discImages.eps}
	\caption{\label{fig:disc} (color online) Expansion of $p$ character from the initial central volume into the planar disc initially populated with only $s$ atoms. The color scale is given by the legend in Fig.~\ref{fig:cyl}, with redder colors indicating more $p$ character and bluer colors indicating less $p$ character. Horizontally adjacent images are generated at the same time step for direct comparison. The orientation of the $x$, $y$, and $z$ axes is given by the inset at the upper left. The disc lies in the $xy$ plane. (a) The expansion when an electric field $E_0\hat{x}$ is applied. (b) The expansion when an electric field $E_0\hat{y}$ is applied. (c) The expansion when an electric field $E_0\hat{z}$ is applied. In (a) the diffusion of $p$ character is faster in the $y$ direction, while in (b) it is faster in the $x$ direction. This is consistent with the angular dependence of $f_0(\theta)$ and $f_2(\theta)$ as described in the main text.}
\end{figure}

The results of the simulation are shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:disc}, where all simulation cases are averaged. Each column shows the diffusion of $p$ character away from the central region for the case of a uniform electric field pointing in the $x$ (Fig.~\ref{fig:disc}(a)), $y$ (Fig.~\ref{fig:disc}(b)), or $z$ direction (Fig.~\ref{fig:disc}(c)). In Fig.~\ref{fig:disc}(a) and (b) the diffusion of energy is asymmetric. This is because  when the field points in the $x$ or $y$ direction, different pairs of atoms will have different relative orientation angles. When the field points in the $x$ ($y$) direction, the maximum rate of diffusion will be in the $y$ ($x$) direction. Similar to the previous discussion of energy transport along the cylinder, this is because the angular dependence will be a maximum when the relative orientation angle is $\pi/2$. When the field points in the $z$ direction, the relative orientation angle $\theta$ between any pair of atoms is always $\pi/2$. The angular dependence will not distinguish any direction of energy diffusion in the plane of the disc. This isotropic diffusion is evident in Fig.~\ref{fig:disc}(c).

\section{Conclusion}

Previous investigations have confirmed the anisotropic nature of the dipole-dipole interaction between pairs of atoms.  We have investigated the consequence of this anisotropic interaction by simulating the dynamics of energy transport in a cold gas of Rydberg atoms. Our model solves the Schr\"{o}dinger equation numerically and includes the full many body wave function. We find that the rate of energy transport depends both on the geometry of the atomic sample and on the angular dependence of the energy exchange as determined by direction of the applied electric field and the various $\Delta m_j$ combinations possible in the interaction. In our pseudo-one-dimensional model, we see the signature of Anderson localization and are able to extract a localization length for some cases. Our simulation results show that current generation imaging experiments should be able to measure the effects of the anisotropy in accessible atomic geometries. This anisotropy  could be used to tune the energy transport in a cold Rydberg gas, making these systems useful as a quantum simulators.

This work was based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants No. 1205895 and No. 1205897.

This work used the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE), which is supported by National Science Foundation grant number OCI-1053575.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv