POWER INDUSTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19098, 20 August 1936, Page 11

POWER INDUSTRY

ELECTRICITY IN JAPAN DEVELOPMENT SURVEYED Presenting a detailed survey of the development of the electric-power industry in Japan, in a paper to the Wnitemata Electric-Power Board, Auckland, Mr. A. Main, the manager, said the present state of the industry was such that Hie nation was entitled to a place in the front rank among tiie Powers of the world. The industry was one of Japan’s outstanding achievements, the colossal capital invested in it, its large scale, and its technical superiority proving the fact beyond question. The very starting point of the industry was the installation of a 25 k.w. dynamo by tho Tokio Electric Light company in November, 1888. Subsequently/ electric companies were created one after another- in other parts of the country. During the Sino-Japanese War and immediately afterward the industry made a sudden advance, due to a commercial and industrial boom. Later, financial repercussions and a rise in coal prices proved a setback, resulting in a new orientation. Water power began to receive consideration, and in 1890 the first hydro-electric plant in Japan was constructed at Kyoto, power being sold to the public two years later.

By 1907 there were 137 electric plants in Japan, Air. Main continued. Together with the increase of hydroelectric stations, the long-distance power transmission system saw great development. Households numbering 11,838,000 were now supplied, each having an average of three lights, giving 70 candlepower.

During the Great War period the capacity of plants doubled. But, Mr. Main said, in the last 10 years the enterprise experienced two serious problems in the sphere of economics and business administration. The first was the regulation of the industry and the second was the serious blow suffered by the abandonment of the gold standard, in close connection with the general economic depression. “The electric industry lias one of the greatest capital investments in Japan,” said Mr. Alain. Authorised capital totalled £265,392,000: paid up, £205,541,300; loans, £135,368,700; fixed capital, £502,041,300. The figures included the amount invested in electric railways, and (lie fixed capital included £20,800,500 invested in Governmentowned and other enterprises.