RELIEVING THE GLOOM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24783, 6 December 1941, Page 8

RELIEVING THE GLOOM

\ There can be no doubt that, as the Dunedin district lighting controller, Mr G. T. Edgar, declares, the necessity for restrictions upon lighting still exists. If anything, the conditions which led the Government, on advice from the service chiefs, to introduce a partial black-out in the Dominion have deteriorated. Yet there must be some sympathy with the request made by the Oamaru Chamber of Commerce this week that more shop window illumination should be permitted during the holiday period. Apparently similar requests have been received by the Dunedin controlling \ authorities from individual business houses, and all have been rejected. In this district, and indeed elsewhere in the South Island, no power shortage has been experienced, such as has provided an additional, if fortuitous, argument in the North Island in favour of lighting restriction. The local applications were refused by Mr Edgar on the ground that temporary relaxation of the restrictions as they apply to the illumination of city shops would “practically undo all the work so far done to make the black-out effective.” This argu - ment might seem to the shopkeepers to allow them little credit for discretion and intelligence in re-arranging the lighting in their premises on a temporary basis. It has not, of course, been suggested that the restrictions on lighting outside the shopping area should be affected. For most people this Christmas season is likely to lack the spontaneous elements of gaiety. Anything that might, in a measure however small, alleviate the depression of spirits which is regrettably inevitable is to be welcomed, provided that there is no possibility of its imperilling national" security. Presumably the contention of the members of the Oamaru Chamber, and of local business people, is largely disinterested,, and rests on the belief that brighter illuminations in the shopping streets over the Christmas season would be appreciated by the public. Low spirits are likely to be accentuated by the depressing gloom that envelops once > gailylighted thoroughfares. Regarded from this the requests made to the lighting controller may appear to deserve consideration.