"WHITE COAL."

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13934, 17 July 1917, Page 7

"WHITE COAL."

ELECTRIC POWER IN. FARMING,

Mr E. Parry, chief electrical engineer to the Public Works Department, in an address to the Council of Agriculture Conference, held at Wellington last week, dealt with '' the development of electrical power in New Zealand iii relation to the advancement of agri-

culture." He put forward the proposition that the institution of a general

electric power system throughout a country is necessary for the complete development of ;i country's resources.

Further, lie put forward the proposition .that for any system of electric power distribution 'which may be established, the cost is recoverable in between four and- live years. He was conservative, but h.e • believed lie was safe in 'putting it at three or i'mtr years. Whatever they spent on electric power could'lie recovered in four or live years—perhaps three or four years —in what would be expended on coal. In other wonto, the coal bill would be sufficient in three or four or four or live years to pTiy for the establishment of the power, lie supported these propositions by showing what was being done on the Lalco Coleridge system as -applied to rural recjuiromeuts for light and power. 1 But this was only on a limited scale of what should, and lie believed would, apply to the whole of the Dominion. The Lake Coleridge scheme had only been in operation two years, yet great progress had been made, progress, lie thought, that would take ten years to reach in the Old Country.

The Lake Coleridge scheme served the country as'well as the towns. He instanced au installation on the northeast coast of England, between the Tyne and the Tees, where .'142,000 h.p. was being supplied to users, and 95 per cent, of the collieries in the area .were working by electricity. Waste heat from coke ovens was being utilised to generate electricity, and "pumped" into the main power.

Assuming that there was available a source of supply in the North Island, the capital cost of the lines could b? recovered in four or live years in the coal bill. That did not mean that less coal would lie required to be mined. On the contrary, the demand would be increased, and the collieries would be much more readily developed. Lowgrade, refuse coal could be gasified at low ■expense, and so used through the, agency of electricity, ,I'roin peat, ammonia and oils could be extracted by a system of electrical distribution. With a general system of electricity it would be a simple matter to profitably develop and utilise the smaller and more micertah watercourses.

With respect to electricity in agriculture, Mr Perry showed, that production could be greatly amplified. Its application already had proved a really paying proposition for the Government in the Tai Tapu district. In fact, tlio country was a better customer for current than the town, applying it to so many various purposes apart from lighting. With respect to gas, lie thought its use would only be stimulated, and not reduced, by the greater use of electricity, and ho advocated the distribution of gas and electricity being under one control. Electricity as a motive power for all i farm purposes was undoubtedly possible. lie hoped trials would be made at l.ii!.:uln College of electric ploughing. Millt could be sterilised by electricity, although at the moment it was iir the nature of experiment. A trial was bfiiitj made of checking frost in the orchard by electricity.-with good prospects. Mr I'arry was followed with , the closest attention,

In reply to i|uesiious, iir I'arry sail it would cost OH per horse-power of ultimate development (lie believed cheaper than that) for installing an electrical system iheadworks, machinery, etc.) whereas it rest £7 pec horsepower per annum ' for coal, lu six years, then, even limiting the cost 01 coal at £1 per ton, in six years the cost of the electricity horse-power -would bs paid for. This was a conservative estimate. Flour-millers using the current, in Canterbury now iound that their milling coats were reduced from 4s-to ,'lx per ton. Mr I'arry was accorded a cordial vote of thanks.