NUMBER 13

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8356, 17 February 1913, Page 11

NUMBER 13

CONCESSION TO SUPERSTITION BY THE L.C.C. An amusing debate on the superstitious attaemug to tire number 13 took praoe at tire condcn County Council. The Local Government Committee recommended that -No. 18, Stanhope place, Paddington, should bo renumbered 14. Tms was an unusual proposal, especially as on recent occasions the committee has been against renumbering thirteen/* as 12a or 124. Nevertheless, in this case the committee, which gave no reason, was not averse from the abandonment of this No. 13. The question was made a party one, and the progressives were against. Mr \V. C. Johnson moved the reference back, and said it was absurd for the municipality to hearken to the nonsense of silly people who had a superstitious dread of th© number 13. Let tho council consider the point involved. If a commencement, as now suggested, were made, the result would be that alterations would be necessary throughout London, for there were thousands of houses with the number 13. In this case he could not understand why 13 should bo objected to, as the applicant had 13 letters in his name, and Stanhope place contained 13 letters. In seconding the reference back, -Hr Stanley Holmes said that if the council started this nonsense it would nave to make a by-law prohibiting people from being born on Friday. (Laughter.) ~ , Mr Lloyd Taylor: I shall support that. (Loud laughter.) I will mean that I will support the amendment. Th© amendment was defeated by a small majority, and so the council changed 13, Stanhope place, to No. 14. i