HERE TO STAY

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 297, 12 September 1934, Page 4

HERE TO STAY

New Lighting Scheme in Wellington

ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY

“When the new electric lamps installed »n Lambton Quay were first erected we had numerous complaints about the effect of the light on the complexion of tlie ladies, but being mere men we did not take much notice and continued to install the lights. 7 These remarks were made by Mr. G. Lauchlan, assistant general managei of the. Wellington municipal electricity department to members of the Supply Authority Engineers’ Association at their annual conference yesterday during discussion on a paper by Mr. Bearman, of the British General Electric Company. “Some shopkeepers also objected at first,” continued Mr. Lauchlan, ““but finally they came round, and now they would not go back to the old style.” Mr. Lauchlan said the lighting of the Quay had improved by 200 per cent., and the cost, to tlie city was really trifling. He had no hesitation in saying that the lamps were there to stay.

In a description of the lamps, Mr. Bearman said they were known as mercury vapour lamps. No one who had seen tlie new installation and who was familiar with the old type, would deny that there had been a remarkable increase in visibility. If 1000Avatt filament lamps had been employed instead, of the new lamps the illumination would have been the same for all practical purposes, but the load would have been increased to 22,000 watts—an increase of 247 per cent. The extra cost in replacements annually of tlie new lamps would amount to an average of £44, which Was not a dear price to pay for a saving of 13,000 watt hours in load in this one short section of street. In time, with the increase in use of the lamps, the additional replacement cost would disappear altogether. The total saving by the use of the new lamps was £3/17/8 per annum for each light.