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80
Upon the passing of this Act (which through its various stages, it may be
mentioned, was strenuously opposed by the Gas Companies) the
Vestry on the 20th September 1882 received no less than six notices
from various companies of their intention to apply for provisional
orders; and the question was at once raised whether the provisions of
the Act should be put in force by a company or by the Vestry The
Works Committee of the Vestry at that period came to the conclusion
that it would certainly be more in the interests of the ratepayers for
the Vestry to grow with the science of electricity by placing themselves
in the position of undertakers under the Act than to allow a company
to be established for 21 years, even although there was the power to
purchase at the end of that period Accordingly the Vestry on the
1st November 1882, after one month's public notice, by a vote of
33 against 9 decided to apply for a licence
It is not the intention of your Sub-Committee to review the opposition got
up against the Vestry's action on this occasion, which ultimately
prevented the Vestry obtaining their licence, but merely to remind
members that at that period there were two very powerful agencies at
work against the Vestry, viz the South Metropolitan Gas Company
and the property owners ; the result being that the Board of Trade on
the 28th July 1883 declined to proceed further with the application,
and the ratepayers at the May election of 1884 rejected (practically
speaking) every member who had supported the Vestry becoming
the undertakers for the supply of electricity The cost of opposing
the provisional order of the Metropolitan Brush Company and making
the application for a licence amounted to £413 9s 2d, £250 of which
was incurred through the opposition
From the year 1884 to the year 1889, although notices were received from
various companies of their intention to apply for provisional orders,
no actual order was granted to any company, as the necessary deposit
to ensure the mains being laid in the compulsory area was not forthcoming
Upon the passing however of the Electric Lighting Act of
1888, the period of purchase by the local authority was extended from
21 to 42 years, which gave an impetus to capitalists : the result
being that electric lighting companies that were practically unable to
move for want of funds found themselves in a position again to
promote schemes
The London Electric Supply Corporation, during the session of 1889,
obtained through the Board of Trade a provisional order which gave
the Corporation lighting powers over the whole parish, the
" compulsory area " being Newington Causeway, Newington Butts
to Draper Street, and Walworth Road from the Elephant and Castle
down to Wansey Street by the Vestry Hall The deposit fixed by
the Board of Trade at this time was £1000 per mile, the deposit in
the case of this Corporation being £1,500 This Corporation has only
laid a main from St George's Church to the railway bridge in the