Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-10-05

out the employment OF the very best
engineering and ADMINISTRATIVE talent.
New ssw'ater-p overs. on the other
hand. are being developed all over the
South. the power thus developed being
used mainly for driving cotton mills.
The advantages offered by. long dis
tance transmission, however, do not
seem to have received the attention
they deserve. Power can be transmit
ted electrically over distances up to If
teen or twenty miles with ease and
certainty, and at those distances, when
conditions are favorable, can be dely-
cred to the consumer at cost consd-
erably less than that obtained from
coal. In some parts of the West, where
the cost of coal or other fuel is high.
power Is transmitted to very great
distances. in one case as far as eighty
miles, but throughout most of the
South, where coal Is comparatively
cheap, twenty miles would seem to be
about the limit at which water-power
could compete with steam, unless the
conditions we're especially favorable.
There are many undeveloped water
powers throughout the South whose
distance from cities using steam
power is we'll within this limit. I have
usually found, however, when these
powers have been brought to my atten-
ton, that the greatest obstacle in the
way OF obtaining capltaa to develop
them lies in the hazy ideas OF the pro-
motors or owners as to how much pow
or they have, what the development will
cost, what is the probable demand for
power; in fact all the many things the
capitalist wants to know before he
VIII give the matter any attention.
Here again is seen the value of the
pest engineering talent, in that such an
engineer. knowing just what Informs
non the capitalist requires, and how
oest 10 get IT. can draw up n report that
VIII attract his attention and in which
he will have confidence by reason of
the engineers reputation for care and
thoroughncss. The promoters of the
scheme are thus prevented from ex-
pending time and money on enterprises
which could not be made to pay a profit
on the investment.
Capital is ever seeking investment
and any enterprise which can show a
reasonably safe return on the money
invested can secure all the capital 1t
needs, provided the plan is properly
presented and to the right people; but
no capitalist has the time nor can af-
ford to examine into the many half
baked. ill-digested propositions brought
to him.
There are many progressive and en-
ergetic business men throughout the
South who have learned this lesson.
and whose reports are models OF their
kind, out l regret to say that most of
the reports lack many of the elemente
mat are necessary If capital is to be
interested. The promoters generally
seem to think that when n survey has
been made and the available power dc,
termined, often without reference to
low water or floods, no further infor.
nation will be required to obtain the
necessary capital, where as this is gem
orally but a small part of what the cap
itaiist must know before he will inter-
est himself in the matter.
The South has a great future before
1t in the direction of engineering and
manufacture by reason of it's natural
and undeveloped resources, and Of it's
cheap labor, but the preliminary work
OF asccrtaining the value of these re-
sources and of presenting the case In
a clear, concise and comprehensive re-
port should be done mainly by the
Southerners themselves, for which this
may entail n somewhat greater expense
at the start, the advantages gained are
worth many times the outlay required.
Tor IL the project is one that will MOI
pay. this will be soon discovered and
further outlay, which would be money
thrown away. would Immediately cease.
II, on the other hand, the enterprise
promises to be n profitable one. the
promoters. can demand and obtain
much better terms from the investors
by reason of the confidence instilied by
q careful and thorough report"