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53
concentric main will be jointed at every 20 yards, and it is
admitted that at every 20 yards there will be a weakest point
of the system. We have in addition to that a potential of
10,000 volts which has never yet been attempted except (if at
all) on a small scale. Here the experiment is to be made on
a main extending for a distance of something like 7 or 8
miles. We have then, Sir, the system of double conversion—
conversion at the distributing stations, and again on the
consumers' premises, which is to some extent also an experiment.
And the question arises whether it is wise to entrust this
Company with so large an area to make their gigantic experiment
upon The Vestry have adopted two
competing Companies. They are competing in almost every
sense of the word. The St. James's Company is using the
continuous current at low tension; the only work which the
Metropolitan are doing in St. James's is being done at a
moderately high tension on the alternating system. So that
the current is competitive and the management of the
Company is also competitive, for while the St. James's
Company is restricted to the parish of St. James, the Metropolitan
Company has a very much wider area. The area under
the licence as agreed, or the Provisional Order rather, as agreed
last year, simply includes the parish of St. Martin's, but still it
was a larger area, considerably more than double the area of the
St. James's Company. We then have adopted a middle course.
We have neither gone in for free trade nor have we gone in for
districting, because for the reasons stated, while we agree with
the districting we do not think the time has yet arrived when
a fair scheme of districting can be laid down. But we have
taken a proviso from both these Companies, and this really was
the stumbling block which nearly brought both Companies to
grief—nearly broke off negociations that is to say—that the
Vestry require that a condition should be inserted to provide
not merely potential but an effective competition. Potential
competition is only useful up to a point. Potential competition
is all very well if the two people are on equal terms. But we
wanted the competition to be effective, and the way we have
provided for it, I think, will prove satisfactory. But, of
course, experience only will show that. The way we have
provided for that is to insert a clause in the licence or Provisional
Order binding the undertakers not to associate with