THE STRATFORD EVENING POST WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1924. HYDRO-ELECTRIC TOWER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXII, Issue 60, 8 May 1924, Page 4

THE STRATFORD EVENING POST WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1924. HYDRO-ELECTRIC TOWER.

At this time the matter of hydroelectric power is exercising all communities very greatly in this Dominion, and is certainly a question on which all possible light is required by Stratford's town councillors and the ratepayers generally in view of the schemes now under consideration for providing Stratford with an improved lighting and power electrical supply. It is therefore of interest to note what is being done in other countries. The development of hydro-electric power in the United States has already attained very impressive dimensions, but what has been done in, the past ispnly a beginning of things, according to "Power," an American engineering journal. Applications involving an estimated installation of 21,500,000 horse-power, permits and licenses for 7,500,000 horse-power, and 2,400,000 horse-power built or building, is the three-year record of the Federal Water Power Commission. Three years ago the aggregate installation of all water-power plants in the United States, amounted to only 9,000,000 horse-power. The largest project started last year was that of the Quebec Development Company, at Lake St. John' on the Saguenay i River, Quebec, Canada, where a total development of 1,200,000 horse-power is projected. The first development will be only 500,000 horse-power. Another large project is that of the Susquehanna Power Company, which will develop 3(50,000 horse-p'owir along the river of that name. The West Virginia Power and Transmission Company has a permit to begin work on, the Cheat. River, in West Virginia, which, it is thought, may yield 600,000 horse-power. The tendency generally is said to he towards larger and larger units. A unit of 70,000 horse-power was put into service at Niagara Falls, and, according to expert engineers, plans for 100,000 horse-power units are on the drawing boards. It has been shown that workmen who direct the greatest amount of power receive the largest wages, the greatest average daily wage being in the United State s where the per capita production cf horse-power is greatest. To produce 70,000 horse-power by steam would require the continuous work of 1500 men from the time the coal was mined until it was fired under the boilers. The world's available water-power i s calculated at about 440,000,000 horse-power. Nearly half of this is in Africa, which has resources estimated {at 200,000,000 horse-power. Seventy-five million horse'-power are awaiting development in Asia, while the resources cf Europe are 45.000,000 horse-power. Although the water-power resources of all North America are only 60,000.000 horse-power, the development up to the present on this continent has teen 53 per cent, of the total world development.