BLACKOUT TRIALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23880, 3 February 1941, Page 6

BLACKOUT TRIALS

COASTAL TOWNS TESTS IN THE SOUTH PREPARATION OF SCHEME PRECAUTIONARY ACTION Trial blackouts to reduce visibility from the sea were held in a number of coastal cities and towns on Saturday night. In Auckland, full preparations were made for the trial, but a postponement was decided upon in view of the magnitude of tho problem in this city and because of the desire to give some public warning of the inauguration of the scheme. Tho trial may take place next week-end. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Eraser, said last night that the brilliant display of lights around parts of the New Zealand coast had been causing the Government some concern, because of the possibility of them being of use to enemy raiders. A certain amount had already been done by way of shrouding and obscuring individual prominent lights in various parts of tho country, but it was felt a great deal more was necessary if tho work was to be really effective. Testing Organisation Preparations had already been made for the immediate extinguishing of certain navigational lights in case of need, and it had now been decided it might be necessary to put out or at least obscure all lights which were directly visible from the open sea. In addition, all those lights which, while they were not directly visible from sea produced glare or reflection on the cloud or sky, would he put out. Mr. Eraser said that to carry out these proposals the Government would appoint a controller and central technical committee in Wellington to correlate the work being done in tho different centres. To test the efficiency of the organisation existing at present, trial reductions had been arranged at short notice for Saturday night in Gisborne, Napier, Wellington. Christchnrch, including Lyttelton, and adjacent seaside boroughs, New Plymouth, Timaru Oamaru, Dunedin, Greymouth, Hokitika and Westport. Problem in Auckland Tn Auckland, where practically the whole city was visible from the sea, the problem was larger than in other centres, but preparations for the trial were well in hand and it was hoped to carry this out at an early date, probahlv next week-end. Mr. F raser said that in Auckland, on Saturday the appropriate steps to make a blackout were taken with great expedition, thus demonstrating the efficiency of the local organisation. In view of the fact that the blackout would extend over a far greater area than elsewhere and could cause an enormous amount of inconvenience, and probably alarm, it was decided that, as the initial steps had proved effective, the true blackout would take place only after due warning had been given, Mr. Eraser added there was no occasion for alarm, as the action taken was purely exploratory and precautionary. Regulations dealing with the matter would be put into operation at an early date, and, if the requirements of these regulations necessitated some curtailment of lighting, he felt sure the public would fully recognise the wisdom and necessity of the precautions and co-operate with the authorities to the fullest degree.