HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 4 October 1920, Page 4

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

ITS ECONOI.UO INFLUENCES. At Levin, on Tliursda}’ evening, Mr E. H. Ci abb, chairman of the Mangahao Hydro-Electric League, delivered an interesting address on hydro-elec-tricity and its probable economic inti u'ence. 1 Mr Crabb prefaced his address with an intimation that he was not an expert with technical knowledge, but an average citizen who had tried by reading and observation to form delinite opinions on life and things generally, and the meaning of them. When analysing the processes and powers which had aided man so greatly one found that they all hinged upon one great fact—the harnessing of energy. Re Uien briefly traced the industrial progress of the past 200 years, which he stated was mainly based upon the power of steam. The cost of the transit of coal, and the inability to transfer steam power from the spot where it was set up, would all go to een utilise production in a few favoured localities. Electricity would change all that. It, however, was not a force in itself; it was merely a transformer of energy from what might be termed solid, immovable power to fluid power, which could be distributed along certain channels to wherever required. It did not deliver all the power it took up; 23 per cent was lost in changing the “solid” power into electricity, and a further 10. per cent to 15 per cent was lost in distribution. The

convenience of having power in a fluid form was so great as to more than make up for the small losses in distribution and tire like. In referring to the advantage of having hydroelectricity in New Zealand. Mr Crabb slated that the prime importance of its development had been recognised in countries more directly engaged in the recent war than in New Zealand, and the development of electric power, either from water or coal, was in the forefront of nearly every nation’s programme at the present time. In Canada 2,21!>,522 h.p. was being derived from electricity, while the total horse-power .available was 19,834,000. The manufacturing industries of our sister Dominion had greatly progressed, and their future prosperity and development were assured. It was noi only the manufacturing industries alone which had benefited; electricity had entered into the every-day life of the people to an extent unknown and undreamed of here. It had been applied to no fewer than 32 domestic processes and had proved itself one of tho greatest advantages to over-worked wives and mothers that civilisation had so far afforded them. Electric power was also largely used in farming work.

In referring to the various hydroelectric power schemes of this country Mr Crabb said it was estimated that the 7000 h.p. provided by Lake Coleridge represented a displacement in coal consumption of upwards of OOJtO.t tons per annum. If that was so. the Mangahao scheme, with 21,000 h.p., would render unnecessary some 300,000 tons of coal in our present con-

sumption. He did not think it w:c likely that hydro-electricity would entirely supersede coal, but it would supersede it to an extent which would render almost unnecessary one of the hardest and most exacting of all occupations. He trusted that in the age of electricity now opening they could see tlie possibility of economic developments equal, or exceeding, that of the introduction of steam. The New Zealand Government. continued Mr Crabb, had determined to keep full control of electric power. The experiences of the consequences arising from the uncontrolled economic development of steam power w ere sufficient to justify this course. Economic power, such as the control of electricity, was

too dangerous to trust it in any hand* but that or the community as a whole. It was hoped that greater cure would be exercised than was formerly the ease, and the increased economic benefits whi_t would follow the introduction of electricity -would not be allowed, as in the ease of steam, to be absorbed chiefly by a small section of the community, but would be retained for the benefit of, all. If all parts of the community sank their differences in a whole-hearted desire to serve the community, then the increased productivity and efficiency rendered possible );y the introduction of hdyro-clectri-city w.cnuu he the means of raising the young of the nation to „ civilisation never yet reached. Mr Cr.abb was accorded a hearty vote of ili&nks for his lecture.— 1 ‘ Standard.”