The Hutt News THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1928. LIGHT, MORE LIGHT!

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 14, 30 August 1928, Page 4

The Hutt News THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1928. LIGHT, MORE LIGHT!

The progress of any district can in. a large measure be judged from the illnmination of its streets. In the days of long ago, when the link boy was the pole illuminating agent, pedestrians^went in fear and trembling, hoping, somewhat pessimistically that wet feet and muddy shoon would be the worst results of a journey through town. Usually they were lucky if the ioot-pads gave them, free passage. With the coming of the useful oil lamp, when the light went at all, it showed the way fairly • clearly, but it had an unhappy knack of burning dim at the worst moment, and was [ subject to windy spells that caused its total extinction.' All our readers will remember the days of gas lamps, which, set far apart at infrequent street corners, gave the wayfarer an optimistic feeling if little light. One had the idea vhat one was traversing the streets of some city in the middle ages, and was visualising a description by Conan Doyle or the which- was long overdue, we were pleased to note a distinct improvement in the system of street lighting. Possibly we can trace this improvement in three main direction: more lamps, a greater illuminating capacity per lamp, and, more than these, an improved system of central lighting in the main street. We have heard on all sides comments from visitors

graphic Baroness. The street lights serv- j ed more to mark the way than to illuminate it, and in those dark days our 'ura might have been compared with any of the lesser towns of New Zealand and have suffered in the comparison. With the coming of electricity, the advent of to our town. One and all they say that so far as it goes, the method employed in the main street is one of the best they have seen. The business people themselves admit that to a large extent the system fulfills all the requirements of j modern street lighting. Comparing 'iur I town with others that we have visited from time to time, we note that it excels other towns of a similar size, and indeed may be said to lead the way among' country towns. On the other hand it is no longer a country town! We cannot find any reason to be content to compare it with the smaller towns of the Dominion, for the simple reason that it has passed beyond the stage when a legitimate comparison on these lines 2ould^ be made. When we are under the necessity of forming comparisons, we nast take a big city as our standard, and must compare our services and civic institutions with those of the leading towns. It is not for us to lag behind. Taking up this standpoint as we do, we cannot see that our present lighting s.vstem is adequate. We have to consider that lighting particularly in the main street is one of the most potent factors towards an increase of business. A magazine published by an American business organisation states: — Since the -mproved lighting of Main Street has bsen carried out, the business men report a 50 per cent increase of business in the evenings." We cannot but feel Ihat with improved lighting of the Mam Street in Lower Hutt the business people here would benefit to a considerable extent. The direction in which an improvement seems particularly indicated is towards the coiner of Brunswick Street. At the present-.time, the portion of Mum Street from the come rof Queens fioad northward is in striking contrast to the more central part. As a result, " the shops in the northern part of Main Road appear to he. in a sort of twilight, ynd their attractiveness from a customer's point of view is less than that of the shops further south. This is not fair to the shop-keepers concerned, nor dues it act as an encouragement to others to open shops in this neighbourhood. There does not appear any very grave reason why the central lights that form such efficient illuminating agents in the central portion of Main Street should not be extended at least as far as Brunswick Street. The result of such an extension would be well worth any slight additional cost, and would be an incentive to improved business in this direction. The cry is often heard that the Hutt is not as attractive as it might be on shopping night. We have ''heard complaints at times that it is slow. It is obvious thas a brightly lit street will prove an attraction to shoppers, and will encourage people to spend their money in our town rather than in Wellington. That peculiar something which is always associated with a crowd, and wliich seems to draw people to the cities like a magnet no doubt has some connection with bright lights. Because Cuba Street, in Wellington, is the street with the best illumination w re find it crowded with people en a Friday night so that at times it is almost impossible to pass. Is there not a hint in this for the consideration of the Powers that be?