LIGHT WANTED ON BLACK-OUTS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 124, 19 February 1941, Page 6

LIGHT WANTED ON BLACK-OUTS

it is surely time that some clear, authoritative public statement were made concerning the plans for the "black-out of ports and coastal towns in this country in the event of an emergency. lhe Government's intention to make certain preparations and to have certain trials carried out, is not a secret. General outlines of what is going forward have already been published. But the pail, whatever it may 'be, that will have to be played by householders and citizens generally in assisting the black-out- —in preparing and practising for some possible future occasion when it may be nccessaiy, suddenly, to plunge our communities (outwardly) into daikness has yet to be disclosed. _ • Unlike some other emergency preparations, the planning ot a city black-out is a matter of direct, individual and immediate concern to every householder; indeed, almost every citizen. The object of a black-out is to prevent raiders from the sea or the air from locating a city or town at night by its lights. Street lights, harbour lights, advertising lights, the lights of traffic and house or building lights constitute the main categories of illumination in. any communityCommon sense suggests that if a black-out is to be successful, each category must be suitably dealt with. It is difficult to understand what practical meaning there is in the term "partial black-out" which has lately been used in several unofficial or semi-official references to the matter. If this is intended to mean lhe blacking-out of, say, street, harbour aud advertising lights, without attention to house and traffic lights, the term seems to denote a futile half-measure. House lights and traffic lights tell the whereabouts of any city from alar, and in a place of built-on hills, such as Wellington, they outline the unmistakable shape of it. 1 f. then, our communities are to prepare properly and efficiently lor black-outs, it would appear essential for the Government to take the people into its confidence at least to the extent of explaining what its requirements are, or what they are likely to be. The majority ol householders, and owners of buildings which are customarily in use after dark are not in a position to black-out their premises at a day’s notice or even —in some cases—at a week's notice. Yet, if the need to black-out should arise at all, it may arise at an hour’s notice, or even less. How many households today arc equipped with curtainor other material with which to prevent light from showing out oi rooms which are in use at night? Hundreds of houses in Wellington are so situated that lights from certain of their windows shine like beacons from the bills. How many of these windows could be sealed at once in the event of an emergency unless plans had been made carefully beforehand? How many motor-vehicle owners have the materials with which to ‘reduce their lighting to black-out requirements ?

If our communities are to be ready to black-out without contusion, and in avoidance of very serious hardships and dangers which would be caused by an arbitrary switching-off of lights, there will require to be a period of methodical preparation by nearly all owners of premises and essential vehicles. Most people recognize this and are awaiting information and a lead. They should be told, first, whether it is the intention of the authorities to be ready to order and impose black-outs; secondly, what co-operative part the people will be expected to play if it is intended to hold trial black-outs; thirdly, what preparations householders and others will be expected to make.