POWER FROM NIAGARA

Shannon News, 15 May 1928, Page 1

POWER FROM NIAGARA

Varied Uses byFarraers

TWENTY THOUSAND CONSUMERS

For 20,000 Ontario farmers, Niagara Falls is now doing .the chores —cutting ■wood, chopping feed, even, milking the cows. It would be serving many times 20,000 if it were not that there is a limit to the quantity of electricity that even Niagara can supply. What does the farmer do with Niagara power? Two or three instances will illustrate.

Mr. Thomas Keffer, a farmer near Woodbridge, has 29 electric lamps in his house, two on the verandah, 21 in his barns and other buildings, and two strong lights in the yard that make it look like a town square. In addition he has a 5 h.p. motor. This chops annually 2000 bushels of grain rolls 800 bushels, chops 1200 bushels of roots, chops straw and hay, operates a fanning mill and a meat chopper. Finally, twice a day, from 15 to 18 cows arc milked by electric milking machines. This service costs Mr. Keffer just ovcw £25 a year. Mr. Edward Harwood, a farmer near Woodstock, 100 miles away, lights two houses and barns, and with a 3 h.p. motor chopped 1200 bushels of grain, 30 tons, of corn and other fodder, pumped water and milked 20 cows twice a day. In additioii his wife operates various household utensils, such as a washing machine and irons. His bill was under £l7 for a year. To the farmer the milking s machine is the greatest miracle. The cows are lined up, a switch is turned on and Niagara Falls does the rest. ■

Near Sunderland lives Mr. Philip Rynard, who has a 260-acre farm which is a century old, with a fine house and a big barn, the. stables having accommodation for 100 head of cattle and the pens for 100 pigs. Mr. Rynard's bill for a 12-month period reached the total of under £46. His installation totals 16,553 watts and includes a 7$ h.p. motor and a $ h.p. motor on the cream separator. '

With this power, Mr Rynard has, during the year, chopped 3000 bushels of grain, cut 20 tons of straw, pumped water for 100 pigs, 70 cattle and eight horses, pulped 1000 bushels of turnips and separated cream twice daily. In his house, in addition to .lighting, there have been in use an electric iron, a toaster, a vacuum cleaner and a curling iron heater. Electric range - tor cooking and a washing machine. Mr. Rynard even raises chickens by electricity. He saves his hens hard work — by using two 100-watt lamps in a brooder.

From the beginning of its activities under the late Sir Adam Beck, the Ontario Hydro Electric Commission has laid it down as a fixed policy that the power it has for sale shall be available to farmers as well as to city folk. But there have been difficulties in the way. Rural population is sparce, distances are great and costs mount up in spite of the best intentions. While rural communities were organising cities were busy signing contracts, and now there is no more water power to go around, until a new international agreement further to drain Niagara or to develop the St. Lawrence is reached, or until power is imported from Quebec or the far-off north country.

So far 2250 miles of rural distribution lines have been built. They serve nearly 20,000 customers, many of whom live close to urban communities, al though 6500 are isolated farmers. The province has been organised into 153 ( ‘ rural power districts,” of which 107 are actually receiving some service.