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50
The position thus taken up by the London Companyrendered
it impossible for the Vestry to adopt any other
course than to oppose the application for an Order. The
Vestry had indeed not consented to the application, but in
view of what may be called the historic character of the
Inquiry, it seemed only right that the Vestry should not
merely adopt a negative position, but should place their views
on record.
The Vestry were represented at the Inquiry by the Vestry
Clerk, who cross-examined such of the witnesses as gave
evidence bearing upon the questions at issue, and subsequently
addressed the Inspector in support of the views of
the Vestry. It is not necessary to reproduce here either the
evidence, or the remarks of the Vestry Clerk in full, but
perhaps the following extracts from the remarks may prove
of interest as indicating the policy of the Vestry
The first question, dealing with the strict question of policy, is
whether we should adopt a system of free trade or of
districting Companies. I think, before deciding upon that
question, we must have some regard to the area of St. James's.
We have a very compact area; we embrace various classes of
property; we have large clubs, large business houses, mansions
of the nobility and gentry, all of which might be expected to
be large consumers of the current. But we have also other
kinds of property in what we might call the back part of the
parish. We have other kinds of property in which the supply
of electricity for lighting purposes at anything approaching its
present price will simply be impossible. But that district is
largely dotted about by small manufactories We were
advised, at a very early stage of this electric lighting inquiry,
using that in its widest sense, going back to the year 1882, that
the circumstances of our parish were somewhat exceptionally
favourable for the adoption of electricity, partly on account of
the steadiness with which the current would be required for
light in the southern part of the parish, and partly also because
(supposing the same current to be applied) when the current