WATER POWERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15457, 8 November 1910, Page 3

WATER POWERS.

to mi; iijito*. Sir, —“ "Within, three or four years' lime there will not be a. man in this House who will not bo anxious to prove that, ho was an enthusiastic supporter of 'this scheme from the very initiation.” How closely Mr Lauremson's words portray the attitude of many, if not the majority, oi our public moil upon apparently new questions brought before the peoples notice. Although ho may .have got off the main track at the start, Mr T. Jv Taylor has for at least nine wears consistently and ably advocated the use of water-power lor developing electricity. It is imperative that the first comprehensive use in .connection with -dectrie power (shall be on the most modern lines, and at once scientific and economical. There are two ways in which we can receive preparedly Ihe power from Lake Coleridge tor tractive, illuminating, chemical and commercial purposes. The New Zealand University, °r some oilier competent authority,'can unite with Ihe Government departments in bestowing travelling scholarships upon a few of the meet promising higher students of electricity and agriculture, whoso general knowledge and enthusiasm promise the host results from a tour ol one ot the continents. Failing this the Government should bo able to choose a good a.lround officer to inspect and report upon the undertakings which promise to serve our purpose as models. A tear has been expressed that the use of iho new force will bo. retarded by the expenditure already incurred tor steam and other motive power at present available. There will he many places that can make an industrial start with the machinery tlun in the cities will become obsolete. Within two \rius 1 State and private enterprise should be able to bring the back blocks saw mills into profitable working without having to “scrap” the bulk of the serviceable machinery now going merrily Von know that, according to Dr Johnson, a good deal can be done with a certain person if he be caught young: simuaiL, by a judicious use of our know ledge ol foreign electrical achievements, a large amount of practical education can be stored up in two years. Meanwhile the manufacturers and others can lay their plans for exchanging new lamps for old ones. A canvass of Greater C linstchurch and Canterbury might.result in earlv contracts between the State awl the various parties interested to mutual advantage. 'Flic New Zealand internal muni Exhibition was foreshadowed by the late [light Hon R. -T. Soddon more than two years before its opening, and had the suggestion that power should be obtained from Lake Coleridge been entertained by the Minister of Public Works when preparations were made for the formation of committees, the scheme would have had an excellent start., and we should have been able by this time to examine our balance-sheet. The best proof of organised and well-planned expedition in connection with the utilisation of the power’from Lake Coleridge will he. the prompt running of an elec-trically-propelled train through the tunnel as soon as the water exerts its force on the turbines at the dam works, indeed, it does not appear improbable

,t carrying “ coals to Newcnstle." in the form of town-developed ojeetricity to the stonework construction ot. the hike, would be of material preliminary aid to the contractors. This is, of course, n. matter for the careful consideration of the Government's experts, who will require to conduct, experiments to enable them to reduce leakage to a minimum. A request for an up-to-date railway station at Lyttelton has been regretfully declined h.v the Minister of Railways, who. no doubt, will require to make timely alterations si, Christchurch, Lyttelton, Addington and elsewhere to meet, tho new conditions; and we may reasonably presume that these changes will be both ample and permanent, so as to dovetail with I lit ill 0 building improvements. As an interestpaying undertaking it will be essential to utilise the full power developed Irnm the jump. so that we may expect railway stations handy to the current to be illuminated by electricity at. an oarlv date.

Leakage,' whether physical, psj-cbo- • logical, political nr electrical. is always inconvenient, and frequentlv costly, and it. would l.e a saving to us if the Government '.could meanwhile cause careful inquiries fo he made as to the leakage, i.e.. loss of power, suffered on the transmissions mentioned by the Prime Minister during the third reading of the Aid to Water Power Works Hill a-s being of greater stretch than that proposed for Auckland: at the same time data as to successful experiments in lessening such loss should be gathered and. locally supplemented. As tar as a non-expert can pidge. tho draw-hack to the effective use of electricity for motor-cars lies in the weight and limitations of the accumulators. Tho first of the kind that 1 remember was that of AT. Fauro. who exhibited his storage invention in the Strand, London in 1881, in which, year T enjoyed a ride on the Siemens electric train, which travelled at th- rate of about thirty miles an hour. In the early eighties I briefly described the above, and also the Portrusli electric line in the North of Ireland, where water-power was utilised, in the Christchurch papers. I .shall ha glad to know if anyone preceded me in the advocacy of hydraulic aid. Electricsmelting is now an established industry, and^two years' inquiry and scientific advancement ought to fortify us for battling with the problems, yot unsolved, o 7 successfully working the iron at Tara-

naki and Parnpnra. Our larger quarries should find ii advantageous to make use of the newly-provided powoi, and where it can be “ switched on cranes and derricks might well use the new force. A\ here available on the plains the mysterious magician can do the water-lifting work now noisily undertaken by the shifty windmill. As our electric power will he developed towards the back country, suitably equipped ears should he able to “draw off the required Inroe by some “ penny-in-tlie-slot ” principle: but we must bear in mind the vast difference between the United States and the dominion, both in the areas of electrical spread and in the probable ability of the general earowning population to pay for the purchase and up-keep ot accumulator-curs. Possibly along suitable routes motor'huscs and trumours might profitably use electricity in place oi petrol. I have before stated that a time may come when vehicles will he electrically fed hv a “ wireless ” system, that is, without direct, overhead contact. One gentleman who was apparently opposed to Hie scheme mentioned that electri-cally-worked dredges were very economical in comparison with others. AYo may he eventually able to use this truth as an. inducement to the British capitalist to embark his savings in the e.-fu-

r have just road in “ eral suggestions similar to some T had already penned, but inv remarks have net been altered or influenced on that account. Aklicnight it must not lie forgotten that, loans, obtained m the dominion have a habit of ‘‘ drit ting " to the Home Country, it will bo renientbered that our tramway loan was locally raised ;and if tioL likely to he a, brake on the ‘‘taking up” of our debentures hi l'lngland, tunny would like to see our first “ Aid to AXater Power Loan ” raised in New Zealand - f am. etc.,

J. T-r. XF.WLVN CliiistcluiVL-li, November I.