HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

Shannon News, 1 September 1922, Page 3

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT

London, July 7

While travelling in Canada and the United States, Mr Herbert Hall, oi Timaru, devoted some tune to making inquiries into the development of hydro-electricity.

Although industrial development is temporarily at a standstill in the United States, the development oi wa-ter-power is going on at an enormous rate. The type of machinery is tending to become larger and larger. Whereas in the early days the plant erected possessed 10,000 to 15.0U0 h.p. engines, their power is now being increased from 50,000 to 75,000. ihe whole tendency is to change over from coal to the utilisation of hydroelectricity in any district where water is available.

While in Canada Mr Hall had the

opportunity of examining many plants, and he was particularly interested in that of the Ontario Power Commission, who are installing a plant oh the. Chippawa River, near the lake, to develop, lialjf a million h.p., and this Is connected with the general system for supplying all classes of consumers. The Ontario Government is prepared to subsidise to the extent of 50 per cent the capifarmers, and is making proposals to supply tlie farmers at a flat rate per year of from £lO to £25, to include the driving of alt their small agricultural plant and their plant for household cooking. Hitherto there has been insufficient power to supply the usual run of agricultural farms, but this subject is uowi receiving a great deal of expert attention alike in the United States and in Canada, and is in a very much more highly developed state than it is in New Zealand. In British Columbia and Ontario he saw the successful working of household cookery by this medium, the cost ffor an average family at the end ol' a year working out at about £lO.

, During his stay in the Niagara zone Mr Hall examined most of the vastpower plants, and he mentions as an interesting point that the income from the sale of electricity in the province of Ontario alone is £2,000,-' 000. From the point of view of the utilisation of water-power, Canada provides a great object lesson to New Zealand. Most of the plants he. saw in Canada were more expensive to instl than they would be in New Zeainstal than they would be in New Zeathe conditions for installation are relatively far more simple ■ and therefore would be less costly.