EMPIRE'S WATER POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18446, 6 January 1922, Page 8

EMPIRE'S WATER POWER

r NEGLECTED RESOURCES. In the development of. its water power resources the British Empire compares unfavourably with it« commercial competitors, and tho need for practical steps for the utilisation of our immense -potentialities, is again urged in the final report of the Water Power Committee. Reviewing tho present position, the committee states that in Groat Britain, India, Canada, New Zealand, Tasmania, and some portions of Australia, more or less adequate measures are being taken by tho various Governments, and that definite preliminary steps have been taken in the Union of South Africa, in British East Africa, in Ceylon, in British Guiana, and in Egypt. In the remaining countries of the Empire nothing definite is being done, or appears to be projected, although the potential water-power in Now Guinea, Burma, and West Africa, for example, -a known to bo very large indeed; while where investigation work has been initiated. with the exception of Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and possibly India, the scope of tho work does not appear to be in any way commensurate with the importance of the subject. .Taking tho Empire.as a whole, no attempt is being made to ascertain the total resources, to secure any uniformity in methods of investigation and recording of data, to encourage such investigations, as are being made, or to co)leot the information aa it becomes available at a contra! bureau. At present not oven an approximately complete inventory exists, much less tne practical and commercial information that* wpuld assist development of this important national, resource. How. the Em piro compares with the principal countries of Continental Europe and the United States is shown below,: the figures representing hydraulic horse-power: De- Percentage ■ Available, velopod. developed. Europe 47,300,000 8,450,000 18.0 United States ... 32,000-,000 6,500,000 20.3 ' - British Empire 60,000,000 . 3,000,000 . 5.0 - Moreover, of the total developed waterpower in tho Empire, about 72 per cent, is in Canada. Of the 41,5C0,C00 hbrse-po-wor in tho rest of the Empire, only 695,000, or 1.7 per cent, is being utilised. The committee again urges that an Imperial Water Power Board should be created with extensive powers to carry out a comprehensive policy, for stimulating, co-ordi-nating, and where necessary assisting development throughout too Empire. They hold that & great impetus would be given to the investigation of water resources in the dominions and dependencies by the creation of such a central board to assist and to record such information for the assistance of commercial investors, and that the greater uniformity* of methods of investigation and recording to be scoured by such a board would touch increase the commercial value of the information. It further suggests" that an Imperial Water Power Conference should be convened in London, if feasible, at an early date. It understands that a proposal has been made to hold such a conference, and that this has been cordially received, by tho representatives of those of the outlying portions of toe Empire which are. most directly concerned. Such a conference would offer the opportunity of discussing matters - o. policy administration, uniformity of investigation and record, in connection wi bn water power development, and could not fail to have a useful effect on such development. _____