VERY WIDE USE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 72, 7 January 1936, Page 6

VERY WIDE USE.

ELECTRICITY IN SWEDEN.

ONE EFFECT OF THE GREST WAR

/Special to the "Guardian.") AUCKLAND, Jan. 6

The amazing growth in the use of electricity in Sweden was described by Mr J. E. Edstrom, chairman or directory of the A.S.E.A. Electric Company, Ltd., which supplied the equipment for the Arapuni power station. Mr Edstrom, who arrived by the Aorangi, is vice-president of the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, and has recently concluded an official mission to further trade relations between Sweden and South Africa. "We have to thank the Great War for giving electric power development a great impetus," Mr Edstrom said. '"Sweden was cut off from supplies of oil and petrol, and was thrown on to its own resources, bringing hydro-elec-tric power into prominence. The country is rich in waterfalls, and to-day every village, even in the deepest forest, is equipped with electricity. Its use on the farm is highly developed, for threshing, dairy production, fodder conservation, and even heating the barns in which animals, owing to the five months or more of winter, have to be housed. Altogether Sweden is the most highly electrified country in the world/' Owing to its remoteness from the factory where its equipment was produced, Arapuni had a special interest for him, Mr Edstrom stated, and he was making it his first objective in New Zealand. His country had sent heavy electrical machinery to almost every country in the world, but Arapuni was unique in being at the antipodes of the place or origin of its equipment. The trade delegation of which. Mr Edstrom had been chairman in South Afr)ica, has made a special investigatioin into prospects for an interchange of typical South African products with wood pulp and paper, and machinery. A similar campaign in Australia had been successful. Sweden had no colonies, and so was dependent on foreign countries for many of her essential commodities and raw materials.

"We cannot produce fruit and wool, as can countries in the southern hemisphere," Mr Edstrom said, "but we can export fine wood products and machinery." Mr Eldstrom, who left to-day for Arapuni by motor-car, is making his first visit to New Zealand, and hopes to visit both islands before sailing from Wellington on January 10. Although his visit is not official, he expects to take the opportunity of discussing trade relations with the Government officials.