OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 April 1942, Page 4

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

FLOUTING THE BLACKOUT (To the Editor.) Sir,—-Against the establishment of the lighting regulations I have nothing to say, but about their enforcement by the local authorities I could write a book. Should I or any other private householder infringe the regulations in any way we are promptly interviewed by a warden, and the error of our ways made clear to us, as well as the penalties attached to a continuance' of our offence. Quite' right, too—the law is clear and must be obeyed. Certain public bodies and business people, how, ever, appear to enjoy special privileges. Take the Public Trust building, for instance. Night after night its three stories of tiered windows are to be seen casting their bright gleams over an otherwise darkened world. True, the windows are provided with blinds, but they are of some flimsy material like butter muslin that utterly fails in its purpose and in addition are rarely if ever closely drawn. Last night, for instance, gaps of at least two feet were noticeable through which naked electric lights poured brilliant shafts of .light. Two or three business people also in the vicinity of “Shark Alley" get away with breaches which, in the case of a private individual in a residential area, would earn a severe reprimand.' Last Tuesday night, over a period of two hours to my personal knowledge, the old Implement Company building, facing Lincoln Road, was so brightly lit in defiance of the regulations that by its light a newspaper could be easily read at a distance of approximately 100 yards despite the fact that the night was cloudy and wet. The cream of the joke in this instance was that in the Perry Street entrance cf the same premises a meeting of Lighting Wardens was being held. I could give other instances of the regulations being deliberately flouted with impunity, but space forbids. I only hope that this letter will have seme effect and that in future the authorities will deal with all offenders without fear or favour. —Yours, etc., “ALL OR NONE.” Masterton, April 2.