BETTER LIGHTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 26, 31 January 1934, Page 9

BETTER LIGHTS.

UPPER QUEEN STREET

POWERFUL LAMPS INSTALLED

CITY COUNCIL -WORK. Provided the trials which will be made late this afternoon are successful Upper Queen Street will in future be more brilliantly illuminated than at any time in its history. Complaints of the inadequate lighting of the street have been made from time to time to the City Council, and the city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, submitted a report early last year" stating that considerable improvements could be effected if funds were available. He could not recommend a complete new installation in view of the council's financial position, but proposed certain improvements, which were agreed to. Since then arrangements have been mado with the Auckland Electric Power Board in respect to the cost of replacing existing lamps with a more modern type, and it was decided to install new lights in Upper tjueen Street between the Town Hall and Karangahape Road. The lamps are much more powerful than those formerly used. They are supported on light iron standards about six feet higher than the ones generally in use. There will be 15 new lights of 300 watts —between 500 and 600 candle power each—and two of 500 watts. One of the more powerful lights will be at the Karangahapo Road end and the other close to the Town Hall.

Later on it is intended to improve the lighting of the remainieg portion of the street. Queen Street was one of the first streets in which electric" lighting was installed over 20 years ago. Mr. Tyler said this morning that the Power Board carried out the installation work, the City Council paying capital and maintenance charges at a rate computed at so much per lamp per annum. A new system of charging had been arrived at, and in the aggregate there would be a small saving to the ratepayers. In some instances there would be much more effective lighting at a reduced rate. In respect to Upper Queen Street the new lamps would almost double the illumination.