MODERN LIGHTS IN A CITY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 169, 20 July 1939, Page 6

MODERN LIGHTS IN A CITY

DO THEY AFFECT DRIVING’ CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION Is Wanganui to be encouraged tc become a city of twinkling lights and blinking signs, or do the coloured lights of a modern-day world interlere with the visibility of motorists at night and so cause accidents? These questions were asked during a debate at a meeting of the Wanganui City Council on Tuesday nighl, when an application from Newsome’s Limited for permission to have a Neon light sign at the Taylorville entrance to the city was granted. Evidently a majority of the council agreed with Cr. D. W. Earle, who said I hat the degree of prosperity of a town was being measured nowadays by its display of lights. Cr. O. Hales, chairman of the Works Committee, said that while an electric light sign could be a work of art and a thing of beauty, it became nothing but a hoarding in the day-tb-YC, the only difference between it and an ordina -y hoarding being that its front was o' - glass. “The w hole countryside, ’ whereever you go, is being plastered with hoardings,” Cr. Hales said. “They may bo works of art, they may be not. The Hutt Road, Wellington, is plastered up with hoardings urging you to buy this and buy that. Personally, I am against the erection of any hoarding anywhere in the city.” He added that lhe Wellington Citx Council, just recently, had done something to rid the underneath of verandahs of blinking signs. The Mayor (Mr. W. J. Rogers) Crs. H. Lawrenc G. W. Scoullar and S. J. Harris supported a motion by Ci. Hales that the request he refused. They held that if one firm was granted a right-to put a sign at the Taylorville entrance the council would be besieged with applications for permission to do the same in other localities. Cr. Lawrence pointed oui that a sign in that locality would b<* dangerous in that it would attract the attention of motorists. I;, would be of little use if it. failed in that and ihat had always been a dangerous locality. i Cr. C. N. Armstrong, moving an j amendment that lhe firm be allowed j lo have an approved sign put up al the pleasure of the council, said that, ‘lhe business community of the city , was to be commended for its effort to brighten the streets and each sign . should be judged on its merits. "I agree with what Cr. Hales says about : hoardings, but .suitable electric signs I add to attractiveness and therefore the value of a city,” Cr. Armstrong added. “1 think it is generally agreed that 1 fleet lie signs are not objectional as ! such,” Cr. Earle said. “Most of them | are things of beauty and you caij I almost gauge the prosperity of a tow u by lhe number of lights it has." Cr. J. F. Broad agreed with that ! view, quoting the progressiveness o f Sydney. , “I do not. agree that signs of this j sort interfere with the driving 'd motor-cars," said Cr. R. E. Cuthbertson. “If they did how could a motorist drive along Lambton Quay, Wellington? They do not drive into the windows of shops there because there arc too many signs.” Cr. G. P. Hawkins recollected that in the Auckland area, about Penrose, he thought, a new sign had been put up and it lit a dark locality at night, with a result that accidents which had occurred there frequently had ceased. Permission was granted to Newsome's Limited to put the sign up.