WHITE COAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 163, 12 July 1928, Page 9

WHITE COAL.

CANADIAN DEVELOPMENTS.

BIG HYDRO SCHEMES.

HARNESSING THE ST. LAWRENCE. STANDARD ELECTRICAL CODE. The extent to which liydro-clectric development has assisted industrial development in Canada, was commented upon by Mr. W. F. McKnight, Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Nova Scotia Technical College, Halifax, who arrived in Auckland by the Canadian Highlander, now berthed at Prince's wharf. During a three weeks' sojourn in New Zealand, Mr. McKnight will interest himself in matters pertaining to electricity and visit Arapuni and Mangaliao hydro-electric schemes if possible.

"The Nova Scotia Government, through the Nova Scotia Power Commission, within the last eight years has carried on extensive development in the direction of hydro-electric works, the principle being to supply power at cost to cities, municipalities and private distributors. Big Demand for Power. "In that period it has spent approximately 4,500,000 dollars in this direction. At the present, time a large scheme is under way on the Mersey River to give power to a paper mill, which is producing 400 tons a day. This is the second scheme of this nature that has been undertaken, a large system having been put in operation on the Sheet Harbour about four years ago. With regard to Canada as a whole, hydro-electric development has been proceeding apace for a great number of years, and the supply of energy can hardly keep pace with the demand. The experience has been that new developments have attracted industries, and the demand for current usually far exceeds the most sanguine estimate."

Speaking of the proposal to harness the St. Lawrence River with a comprehensive system of canals and power houses for the purpose of providing access to the lakes of Canada for oceangoing traffic, Mr. McKnight said that plans had been prepared in this connection, but international complications had arisen. The St. Lawrence waterway constituted the international boundary between the United States of America and Canada, and consequently the project had to be handled by international agreements. The scheme, however, had received the serious consideration of both Canadian and United States Governments, and it was likely that it would assume concrete proportions in the near future. It was calculated that it was possible to generate 2,000,000 from this source to serve the State of New York, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec and adjoining territories. Standardising Installations. About four ago, Mr. McKnight was engaged in the very important work of drafting a standard Canadian electrical code to cover wiring requirements 011 electrical installations. Prior to that the Board of Fire Writers', of Chicago, code was used, but it is intended that Mr. McKnight's system will replace it throughout Canada, thereby standardising electrical work from coast to coast— a goal tha't has long been desired by electrical interests. "The new code has already been adopted in Ontario, and various partes of the western territory," said Mr. McKnight, "and it is hoped that in the near future, all the provincial Governments will put it into operation."

With a view to eliminating complications over electrical installations, he further explained it was 'hoped to establish in Canada a testing laboratory in which all apparatus would be tested and approved for use in the Dominion. Formerly this approval was obtained from laboratories in Chicago. When the new scheme was inaugurated, general specifications would be drattn up covering all type* of elcctrical equipment, and before apparatus of any kind could be sold, installed or used, it would have to be submitted to the laboratory for approval. This scheme would prevent the use of cheap or dangerous equipment.