STREET LAMPS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20625, 15 August 1932, Page 8

STREET LAMPS.

REPORTING OF DEFECTS. CO-OPERATION OF PUBLIC INVITED. "It is impossible for us to patrol between three and four thousand street lamps as effectively as can the thousands of people living within sight of them," saj,d Mr E. Hitchcock, manager of the Municipal Electricity Department, when discussing with a representative of Th» Pusss yesterday, the department's appeal by advertisement to the peopl© to report "dead" lamps. It was a common thing, said Mr Hitchcock, for the department to receive » letter stating that "the lamp at the corner has been oat for a week," such communications inferring that the department -was not closely attending to it« business. "Really, there is no need for any lamp to remain unlighted for more than one night, if only the first person noticing the defect would promptly advise us," he commented.

On an average, the Municipal Electricity Department replaced about 60 bulbs a week anions the 8365 street lamps now installed throughout the City area. All bulbs ha 4 a limited life, and more aeemed to fail with the onset of the f roat season than at other times, so that in winter the co-opera-tion of the public was especially welcome. Mr Hitchcock mentioned that experiments in new types of street lamps were continually being made ■with a view to providing improved illumination of the roads of tho City, and said that at the present tun© a complete report on street lighting was awaiting consideration by th* City Council. The advertisement referred to emphasises the dependence of the Municipal Electricity Department upon the public for information regarding defective street lights and dispels any idea that reports concerning "dead lamps arc treated as complaints. Information regarding defective lamp" is welcomed by the department, says the advertisement. **veryon« who reports promptly a defective street lamp will be rendering a service to the community, and the public ii hereby invited to give such assistance whenever possible."