AN AUCKLANDER'S NOTES FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12859, 6 May 1905, Page 1 (Supplement)

AN AUCKLANDER'S NOTES FROM LONDON.

[UV .T. L. HOLLAND.]

ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

Is- (ho matter of electric lighting Auckland is veiy far behind most towns of a similar size in Britain and oilier countries 1 have recently visited. In till directions the electric light is making great progress, and no town that lays claim to any pretensions of "go" is without its electric light system. This, to me, has been 0110 of the surprises of my visit. Why is Auckland so far behind in this? Is it that our authority, like myself, have not fully realised what is going ou; have not been posted up to date ; or is it that up to the present vested interests have been too strong to allow of anything being done? Whatever the reason, it must sooner or later be thrust aside, for electricity as a, lighting, heating, and motive power will hot be kept back, asd Auckland v ill be failing in reputation if it docs not soon recognise this. its brilliance, its cleanliness, and conveniences, to say nothing of tho way in which it lends itself to decoration and advertising purposes, make it especially popular. Add t= this the fact that it is gradually becoming cheaper, and there needs no further argument to recommend its being Altered on on a more extensive scale than at present. There can be no question that our local tramways company are the people to provide supply, as with a small addition to their present plant they could fill the demand at charges less than a. separate and smaller company, for the reason that they would be required to produce in much larger quantities, and I need hardly sav it costs much less per untj to produce iu large quantities than in small. Failing the willingness or the ability of our tramway company to obtain the necessary powers to supply, 1 should think it would be worth the while of our local gas company to take the matter up, obtain the requisite powers, lay down a generating plant, and supply either medium of light at the option of their customers. I note that tho Leicester Borough Council have supplemented their large gasworks by the laying down of an extensive electric plant, in conjunction with tneir electric trams, supplying this light or gas to all clients, at their option, and have during the past year, made large profits.

As indicating the great progress at present being made in the catering for electric lighting and power in London, I may mention that there are at present sixteen borough councils and eleven companies, with a, total capital of £18,000,000, and possessing 64 generating stations, engaged in this industry. Many of these stations occupy very valuable sites, and are so heavily rated that the cost of the light lias hitherto been much too high. This is now in course of remedy. No less than seven separate Electric Lighting Bills and one Power Bill are before the present Parliament, all tending towards the cheapening of the commodity. The new proposed electric power company is a monster affair, with a capital of £5,000,000. It is the intention of the company, on obtaining the requisite powers, to start with the erection of three generating stations, each of 100.000 horse-power, and to provide power in bulk for the running of all electric trams and railways, docks, and all othermachinery. The company a.sks Parliament to limit "the price by sliding scale of from three-farthing.': to 'one penny halfpenny per unit, as against fivepence per unit at present. What this will mean to London is incalculable. Till: QUEUE SYSTEM. As these will probably be the last of my notes for some time, having arranged for considerable touring in Britain and on the Continent, 1 should like, before closing down, to refer to a matter of interest to theatre-goers in Auckland. When any especially attractive programme is on. at His Majesty's or the Oper? House it is quite a common occurrence for a considerable crowd of both sexes to gather round the doors of pit and gallery, often hours before the opening. As the crowd increases considerable crushing and struggling, ami at times unseemly conduct occur. The doors open, and a. mighty rush, nearly crushing the breath from one's body, takes place. (letting inside the door one's troubles are not- yet over, for there is another struggle at the ticket box, and one ultimately reaches ;• hardly-earned seat, moro or less dishevelled and out of temper; either this or take a, back seat, for it is not all that can afford to hook in advance. To obtain tickets and gain entrance to the Choral Hall on special occasions is even worse than this, for not only is there a -big fight to gel, to the ticket office, but after obtaining your ticket there is much risk of parting with some of your clothing in your, struggles to get .dear of the crush. There is no exaggeration in this; there must be numbers in Auckland who will admit that "my description is a mild one. The pity of it is that all these unpleasant circumstances could have been so easily avoided by the adoption and enforcement of .the queue. Since 1 have been in England 1 have visited a. grot number of theatres, both in London and the. provinces, and at every theatre, without, a single exception, I found the system of the queue strictly enforced; in fact, it did not appear to require any enforcing, everyone as they arrived fell naturally in to position, each whiling away the time of waiting by leading or chatting. The process is simplicity itself. As soon as a few collect at the doors a constable in uniform comes along, forms them into line, and every subsequent rival must, take position in rear. Should the single lino become too long, the officer brings them up into double line, and this is further extended to a treble line as required, no one losing position in tiic move up. When the doors open the queue moves forward, members passing the ticket-box one at a time, and leisurely take their scats, with not. even the immaculate blacking on their boots soiled. Now, I maintain that, it: is (he duty of the police authorities to see this carried out, and so obviate the unpleasant scenes that so often occur. Just as much is it the duty of the police to keep order at the theatre door on the public street as it is to prevent street disturbances elsewhere, or regulate traffic. The lav on the force would not be a heavy one-one or two hours in (lie evening by an officer already on the beat, is all that would be required. If police commissioners have not the power to place officers on this duty, then it would be well for our representatives in Parliament/to take tho matter up, to secure the necessary authority. I am quite sure that if our members bub knew how veir pleasant these things are made in the Old Country they, would think it worth while to use their influence in bringing about a .similar state of things in New Zealand. Failing the police in the matter, I think it, the duty of the theatre people, in (he interest of their patrons, to at once take steps to obtain permission to place a man in police uniform, and if possible have him sworn iu as a special constable for this- .special purpose. Of this I am sure, the (hanks of the public will be liberally given' to whoever makes the innovation.