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resolved to oppose the West London Electric Lighting Company's
Bill, and to seek the co-operation in this course, of
the Local Authorities in other portions of the area of supply.
The Yestry have also asked the Board of Trade to withhold
consent from the Provisional Order for which the Company
are applying. Some correspondence had previously passed
between the Yestry and the Company on the subject of the
delay of the latter in commencing operations under their order
which was granted in 1884, and the Vestry regretted to find
that the Company held out little hope of carrying the Order
into effect until more favourable terms had been conceded
with respect to the compulsory purchase of the undertaking
by the Local Authority. As the law stands, the Local
Authority may, after specified notice, purchase the undertaking
at the expiration of twenty-one years, or of every subsequent
period of seven years, upon paying the then value of
all lands, buildings, works, materials, and plant suitable to and
used for the purposes of the undertaking, without any addition
in respect of compulsory purchase, goodwill, or profits, either
actual or prospective. These terms were settled by a Select
Committee of the House ot Commons after a lengthened
enquiry in 1882, and the West London Electric Lighting
Company obtained their Order two years later, with a full
knowledge of the conditions attached thereto. The Vestry
could not therefore regard the explanation of the Company as
satisfactory, and, as stated above, they would object to a
Public Act of Parliament being altered to meet one special
case. The terms may press unduly upon the Electric Lighting
Companies, but in that case the most satisfactory course
to adopt would be to amend the Electric Lighting Act, 1882,
and leave Local Authorities in districts for which Orders
have been granted and remained inoperative, free to enter
into negotiations with competing companies under the
altered conditions.
The Vestry are watching the Bills now before Parliament
for the amendment of the Electric Lighting Act, 1882.