THE “WHITE WAY.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 November 1924, Page 6

THE “WHITE WAY.”

BRIGHTER EVENINGS IN HAWERA. COMMUNITY LIGHTING SCHEME. MONDAY’S CEREMONY’ The importance of light to human beings should be well known- by everyone. Ihe earliest record of life speaks of light, one of the first manifestations of the Creation. Without light there would be chaos; without light human existence would be impossible. Light enables people to see the beauties of Nature, and it plays a very important part m creating those beauties.- Place a beautiful plant in a dark room, and it will soon wither and die. Place a person m a badly lighted room continuously for some weeks, and he becomes. pale and sickly. Light brings health and colour and beauty to. both vegetable and animal life; it encourages energy and activity; it gives inspiration. As Emerson wrote: “The stimulus it affords to the sense and a sort of infinitude which it bafch like Bp mi? and time make all matter gay.” These thoughts come to one at the present time when the community lighting scheme for Hawera is almost completed and when many people in the fawn and district are looking forward to the official ceremony on Monday evening the scheme into operation. The retailers of Hawera have for some months past felt that they would like to see more brightness introduced into the business area of the fawn m the evenings, and at the annual meeting of the Retailers’ Association i- 1 Q u ®stion of community lighting was first mentioned. Not long afterwards the business men’s dinners: to be held once a month, were initiate ed, and community lighting was. the subject for discussion at the first dinner. The scheme was so generally favoured by those present that the executive decided to go on with it, and after a' canvass of retailers the required support was forthcoming to enable the work to be started. ' One of the 1 first essentials noted by the executive was that the lighting should he continuous to he most effective, and a strong endeavour was made to induce every shopkeeper in High street to come into the scheme. The support was very good, hut there are a few who have stayed out, and thus there will be some breaks in the °f light from the verandahs. The association hopes that the scheme will induce shopkeepers to brighten up their shoos inside and that they will pay more attention fa the dressing of their windows, so that everything will be done fa encourage residents to stroll through the town in the evenings and see the shops and the windows. .

The president of the Retailers’ Association (Mr W. C. Gilbert), in discussing the scheme with a Star represents tive said: “I think. that the opportunity for the shopkeeoers is great, and I hope that they will rise fa the occasion.” Naturally, he is very pleased that the scheme has been installed, and he believes that it will prove a great succeses.

_ A great deal of credit is due to the Hawera Electric Light Co. far the manner m which they have assisted the promoters and made it possible for the cost of the scheme to compare favourably with' any similar community lighting scheme in the Dominion. ~ * In all 94 lamps of 200 cahdle power, or 100 watts,- have been installed during the past fortnight, and a contract has been made with the various consumers for W fi° urs lighting for nine months in the year at 4s 4d per month per 100 watts or past thereof. During the remiaming months the arrangement is far 3* hours lighting per night at 6s per month per 100 watts or part thereof, these prices to also include U hours’ lighting on Sunday nights. The Cost to the consumer of the installabeen 30s per point. If Hawera’s. scheme comes up to expectations it is stated it :will provide better lighting than that .of New PlvP°,? fc J Il’ 1 l ’ whl ch can only, boast lights of half the candle power, of those installed in this town.

fiv^ 6 f tUI ?r lng , 0n of tll€ light lias been hxed for Monday/evening at 7.30, and the committees who are making the arrangements are doing all they can to make the ooeasiotv a memorable one. The Hawera Band will parade Irom the Park gates at 7.15 o'clock, and will proceed along High Street to 1 rmces Street corner, where his Worship the Mayor (Mr. L. A. Bone) will turn on the lights at 7.30 o’clock, the switch being located at the Commercial Hotel comer. The ceremony will include short speeches by the Mayor, Mr. J. R. Corrigan, M.P , E Dixon and W. C. Gilbert, after which a musical programme will be submitted, the performers giving items at various points in the community lighted area. It i® expected that a number of business places will be open, for inspection and that the shops will bo gaily lighted. The Retailers’. Association has not forgotten the children, and a committee has in hand ways and means of making the evening a memorable one for'them.

Thus will be brought into operation in Hawera a scheme which, it is hoped, will make the business area more attractive at night-time and add to the brightness of the town. Hawera has a number of shops which would do credit to tany city, and the range of goods displayed is remarkably. wide. In', the busy hours of daylight the majority of people have no opportunity of looking at them, bub with the advent of the community lighting scheme many a -pleasant hour may'be .spent in the cool of the evening.in viewing the shops and the goods displayed in. the windows.