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within the reach of all persons who may require it. For
this reason it seems to me that, although the wishes and
opinions of the local authorities in the areas proposed to be
supplied should be consulted and deferred to, as far as possible,
the mere objection by a local authority to the
introduction of a Company proposing to supply Electric
Light upon general grounds should not be considered
sufficient to exclude such Company, unless the local authority
should express its intention to undertake the supply, and
give evidence that it proposes to apply for permission at
do so, and this should apply with more force when it can
be shown that the exclusion of a Company from such on
area would injuriously affect the service of other contiguous
areas.
(2.) That in dealing with this question it should be considered
as one affecting the interests of the metropolis as a whole,
and as an area which at no very distant time may be
for purposes of lighting and management of roads and
streets under the control of one central authority; and that,
therefore, the whole of the Provisional Orders granted for
the Metropolitan area should, as far as possible, be identical
in form, with identical provisions as to supply, compulsory
powers, interference with streets, and more than all, as to
price.
In my opinion the Scheme, adopted in 1883, of dividing the area of
supply into two areas (A.) and (B), would not be likely to work
so much to the advantage of the public as the proposal in most
of the Orders under consideration to make the supply compulsory
under requisition over the whole area upon equal terms.
I consider, however, that in order to insure that some work shall be
at once undertaken in every parish or district within the area of
supply under such Order, there should be a list of streets scheduled
for compulsory laying of mains, and a deposic made in every
case where the local authority may wish to have it.
Where there are two Companies in the same area, different streets
should be scheduled for each.
With regard to the clauses affecting supply, interference with streets,
testing, position of stations and distributing boxes, and other