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(d) That the telegraphic and telephonic service of the Metropolis
will be seriously interfered with.
This difficulty ought to be easily met by proper regulations and proper
clauses in the order.
On the other hand, the system of the London Company possesses the
undoubted advantages over any others, which arise from the location
of the generating station on the riverside, and the consequent
removal from the crowded parts of the Metropolis of all inconvenience
from noise, vibration, smoke, and heavy traffic.
It will probably also be found that from the economy resulting from
the concentration of plant, the facilities for getting a cheaper supply
of coal, and the possession of large storage capacity upon the
premises, the cost of production under the London system will be
largely reduced, to the eventual benefit of the consumer.
Of the scientific witnesses called as to the relative merits of the two
systems of supply, the great majority were in favour of the
alternating Transformer System for large areas.
There can, however, be no doubt that from a consumer's point of view,
leaving the question of price out of consideration, the supply made
by such a Company as the Chelsea, viz., from accumulators alone,
is the most valuable, and that the supply by means of all the direct
systems has this advantage, that it can be utilized for power,
which cannot at present, at any rate, be said of the supply given by
the Transformer System.
It would therefore be wisest, in my opinion, to give fair scope to all
the proposed systems, all of which are capable of being worked;
and it may be predicted with tolerable certainty that whatever
system proves itself to be the best under all circumstances will
eventually be adopted by all.
Conclusions.
After a careful consideration of the above points, and of all the evidence
and arguments put before me, I have arrived at the following
general conclusions:—
(1.) That it must be admitted that the science of Electric
Lighting has now reached the point at which a supply can
be made which will be of very great benefit to the public,
and that the power of obtaining this supply should be
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