AN ELECTRIC AGE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 9 May 1925, Page 5

AN ELECTRIC AGE.

PROGRESS IN ENGLAND

Mr W. B. Woodhouse, president ot tho Institution ot itlcctricat Lngmeers, and one of tno pioneers of eivctncai power supply m isngiancf m an interview 111 tno “ \Vestinimster Gazette,” ioreshadowod a rapwf anci continuous increase in the demand ior eteccne light* and power. There cannot be the least shadow of doubt ttiat the average person—both man and woman —m the uriUsh Isles is becoming electrically minded, lie declared: “The new electrical era cannot give us that superiority over the other countries or the world that the introduction of the steam engine gave, since we are not alono in this new electrical field, but we cannot possibly afford to fall behind other nations in tlio application of this power: “It is not too much to say,” he continued, “that electrical development has been largely the result of the work of British scientists and •engineers; One can assert that, recent developments of electrical science aro so rapid that we are quite possibly on tlio eve of some new and valuable application of electricity: BRITAIN’S PROGRESS

“To what extent Britain is becoming electrified can he judged from the loilowing facts : — 1 , ‘ln London the Deptford station has been greatly extended: and at Barbing there is a new station on tlio point ot starting; while as soon as the bills now heroic Parliament go through an immediate start will he made wiui the construction of one or more largo stations to the west of London.

“The important area on. the CJydo in and around Glasgow is already supplied by large power stations. (Jn tno iyno and on the ’lees there are large stations, which supply the greator part of the electricity used in Northumberland and Durham. “In Lancashire, in addition to the stations of the Lancashire Power Go. ami the Manchester Corporation. Blackpool, Preston, and Salford will all provide additional plants. In Yorkshire, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Rotherham and tho Yorkshire Electric Power Go. produce from large stations tho bulk of electricity tsed. The Power Company is now establishing a new station, which is planned to be 150,000 kilowatts.

“Birmingham and Shropshire are already being dealt with eiliiicntly, and schemes aro being prepared for the Black Country. In the Midlands the power companies and the corporations of Nottingham and Leicester will he tlio principal suppliers. In South Wales largo developments aro also being made, and recently in tho West a supply of wide area has been begun by the Gloucester Power Co.

SMOKE ABOLITION

“Tho final result of the establishment of a chain of large stations will bo an economy of fuel which, in view of the. world-wide movement in this direction, must make the question of coal prodiicotion ono for reconsideration.

“If one man can predict any social results from the electrical ago it will lie a reduction of arduous labour, the greater application of machinery to all purposes—particularly reducing domestic labour—tho abolition of smoke, and the spreading of our industries to factories scattered over the countryside in pleasant and healthy surroundings. Tho introduction of steam power was largely responsible for the growth ot large towns and the creation of slums. The uso of electricity, it is hoped, will abolish them.

“All the new model villiages to-day

are being supplied with electricity for lighting purposes, and in many cases for cooking. At present ono cannot porsee tho time when every farmer will have electric mains brought to his door. The problem here is not cheap current, but cheap distribution. Other countries have met this difficulty by adopting very largely the use of overhead wires, and in this country there is an act which gives tho suppliers powers to obtain way-leave for such lines by compulsion, if necessary.