MORE LIGHT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVI, Issue 2277, 6 August 1894, Page 2

MORE LIGHT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —It will undoubtedly please tho community of this city generally to find the condition of its lighting so emphatically brought before the notice of tho City Council by Councillor Harris last evening. It is high time something was done towards improvement in this respect. It is evident to any observer that tho strength of the light is not equal to what it was at its first installation, and the condition of the lamps is disgraceful. Lately in Te Aro there has been some improvement as regards their cleanliness, but the Council should insist on their being periodically cleaned as the gas lamps were—they were kept clean. I have occupied my present residence for nearly two years, within a few weeks, and the lamp opposite my dwelling has only been cleaned twice in that time. Down Thorndon quay, unless they have been cleaned within the last few days, they are simply disgustingly dirty. It is by no means unusual for a lamp to be unlit for weeks and 1 even mouths—two, to my knowledge at the present time, unless they have very recently been attended to. One in Kent terrace has only flickered for months. Tho inconvenience to pedestrians in consequence is a real one during those dark, wet nights when they have to pick their way over crossings. Not many Sunday evenings ago, a dark, wet evening, the light at the Fountain was not burning, nor the one at the Bank of New Zealand corner, besides two in Willis street, causing it to bo intensely dark, an evening when there are no shop lights and the streets very crowded; indeed, tho absence of proper lighting in tho principal streets in their crowded state is very detrimental to comfort and safety. Tho gas lamps wore always clean, and those with the burners were very much superior to tho present light of tho Electric Company. Surely there can bo no difficulty in tho Council arranging with th e Electric Company for some proper and definite method of periodically keeping clean and lighting to the full contract power tho lamps. Gould not the police bo asked to inform tho Company of any lamps not burning, or is tho electric lighting of tho city to continue a disappointment, if not a disgrace ? It has seemed timely to call attention to tho subject, if you can spare space and concur in the object of the above lines.—l am, &c.. Not a Tallow Candle. August 3rd, 1894.