View report page

8
station, according to Professor Robinson, capable of serving 6,000
lights of 16 c.p. (or 12,000 of 8 c.p.) in use simultaneously could be
installed for £20,000 (exclusive of site). About 5½ miles of mains in
the principal thoroughfares would cost £35,000. The total cost for
two installations serving 12,000 lights of 16 c.p. in use simultaneously
(or 18,000 installed), he estimated at £85,000 (including sites), while
if it was thought desirable in the first instance to carry out only one of
the two stations the outlay could be confined to £45,000. Professor
Robinson advised that the current could be produced at a cost of
4¾d per supply unit, which would permit of it being sold at 5d., but
that during the first year's working, at any rate, it would be wise to
charge the consumer 6d. per unit; at 5d. he calculated that the cost
of electric light would be about the same as gas charged in Islington.
With regard to street lighting, the Professor advised that the cost of
lighting a street with arc lamps would be greater than the cost of
lighting it by gas, but that if the comparison were made on the basis
of light for light the result would come out distinctly in favor of
electricity. He strongly advised the Vestry to preserve in its own
hands the right to supply electricity in the Parish, and so prevent the
creation of another monopoly like gas and water.
While your Committee expressed an opinion in its preliminary
report (which was approved and adopted by the Vestry on the 22nd
July last), "that the time has now arrived when the "Vestry should
"secure the right to supply electricity in the Parish, and that the
"interests of the Parishioners at large will be best served by the Vestry
"retaining in its own hands the control of the supply of electricity
"rather than such an important and apparantly lucrative undertaking
"should be handed over to private Companies," it should be distinctly
understood that such report did not commit the Vestry to any
particular scheme for the introduction of the light into the Parish.
The advice of Professor Robinson and the information contained in
his report were obtained mainly for the purpose of enabling your
Committee to decide as to the advisability of applying for a provisional
order. While generally accepting Professor Robinson's calculations as
to the comparative cost of gas and electricity, your Committee refrained