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20
The Board of Trade having ordered an enquiry into the
whole question of electric lighting in the metropolis, with
special reference to the applications relating to the several
parishes and districts, the Committee resolved to defer,
until the publication of the report upon that enquiry, the
presentation of any definite recommendation, at the same
time requesting their Chairman (Mr J B Batten") their
Vice-Chairman (Mr Thomas Horn) and Mr J K Aston to
attend the enquiry on behalf of the Vestry The result of
the investigation was published in June, when the Committee
submitted a report of which the following is an
abridgment:—
On behalf of the Vestry the representatives named objected to the
entrance of any company into the Parish in the present state
of electrical science, and in the absence of any special demand
for electricity
The Report of Major Marindin contains inter alia the following
paragraphs with reference to objections of local authorities:—
"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 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 to do so, and this should apply
with more force when it can be shown that the exclusion
of a Company from such an area would injuriously affect
the service of other contiguous areas"
"The opposition of the United Vestry of St Margaret and
St John was not so strong as to lead to the belief that
it would object to the division of the parishes between
two companies, especially as there appears to be a
demand for electricity in the district"
In conclusion, Major Marindin has recommended the Board of
Trade to consent, with the approval of Parliament in due