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210
calling their attention to the necessity of scheduling other
thoroughfares which will have to be further considered.
Of course there must be compulsory powers to lay down
lines in certain streets, otherwise the Order may be a dead
letter, but at the same time, although compulsory on the
Company it will not be so on the Vestry unless they desired
to have the public lamps lighted by electricity. We submit
these facts for the consideration of the Vestry. Personally
we do not see what the Vestry has to lose by consenting to
the Order, especially as it will not prevent any other Company
making an application for a Provisional Order, but that
is a matter entirely for the judgment of the Vestry, and as
it is more properly the province of an electrical engineer to
advise thereon, no doubt the Vestry will seek such scientific
and proper advice ; the electric lighting still being in its
infancy and the costs and expenses thereof of stations not
known.
The Board of Trade having now made a " Model Order "
which is to affect the whole of the Metropolis so that there
should be one uniform order to work the Electric Lighting
for the whole of the Metropolis. We do not see there is any
good in submitting clauses or objections which must have
already been considered by the Board.
We submit that the Vestry in coming to a conclusion
in the matter must not lose sight that in all probability the
contemplated Bill for the establishment of District Councils
may wholly supersede the functions of Vestries, and on that
account the Vestry may hesitate in embarking in the heavy
responsibility and risk of Electric Lighting, which is still we
venture to submit in an experimental stage.