New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-14
Water Power and Preparedness.

In times less disturbed than these the
recent annual meeting of the American
Electro-C Chemical Society in Washington
might perhaps have attracted the general
attention it deserved yet among the mat
ters discussed on the occasion were some
of singular and exceptional interest at this
moment when the public at large is keenly
conscious Of the perils of unpreparedness
and somewhat more disposed than usual to
give serious consideration to the natural
and industrial resources Of the country.
The question of water power and the
American industries was dealt with in sew
eral aspects at one session, and the pecul-
lar interest of this session to the general
reader lies in the revelation of what water
power really means to the whole commu-
nifty, and how deeply concerned every one
is in its development. The possibilities of
the nitrogen industry alone, so much de-
bated since the war began, were set forth
at large in a most instructive paper by
Professor w. s. Lands, and general re-
view Of electric furnace products by Mr..
+. J. Tone gave an idea of the extraordi-
nary developments at Niagara Falls in
the last twenty years and the incalculable
Importance Of further development in the
future.
1t is perhaps not unnatural that the pull
lie is ignorant of its interest in this vital
question. Engineers and technical men are
themselves largely responsible for the pop
ular apathy, since they have left the mat
ter in the hands Of ignorant legislators
and met the restriction Of power develop
ment with what can at the best be de-
scribed as passive resistance. On the other
side are ranged small but active body OF
feather Drained aesthetics who are inclined
TO regard industrial development as vul-
gar pursuit and think it horrid to allow
material considerations any weight In com
parison with scenery. These are the peo-
pie who have made so much noise about
preserving Niagara Falls" and actually
succeeded in persuading politicians the
Falls are in danger and that the scientific
and technical men are in conspiracy 70
drain the cataract.
WINS answer to those who talked fool
ishy about spelling the beauty OF the
Falls. 1.-THE great cataract" he said, can
never be beautiful until it has ceased "a
I've an awful and unlovely example Of
waste" To his discerning eye there was
something depressing in this wastefulness
as there would be to any one in the delib-
crate destruction of coal in a perpetual
bonfire The ideas are plainly comparable
BY international treaty the quantity Of
water to be used on either side of the Falls
is agreed upon, and only so much can be
turned to account at present Our govern
ment in its wisdom has even seen fit 70
deny the power companies the full use of
the amount provided for in the treaty, and
the margin that goes TO waste over the
Falls is alone equivalent in potential cleo
trical energy to more than half million
tons Of coal a year.
The pleas Of the scenic preservers would
be more tolerable if they were not either
grossly i'll informed or hypocrtical. Mr.
Edmands showed in his paper that the i'm
pairment of the Horseshoe Falls was chiefly
due 10 natural causes, and that the gov
ernment's own expert investigators had
proposed simple and relatively ineXpen-
sive remedy. II nothing has been done
since they made their report eight years
ago the obvious conclusion Is, as he points
out, chat the impairment of scenic gran
dcur has been so slight that it is not con
sidered worth while to take any trouble
or expend any money for the possible i'm
provement."
In view Of this it is difficult to regard
the restriction of power development as
measure sincerely enforced upon aesthetic
considerations. Mr.. Edmands is abun-
dainty justified in saying that ut IS a
crime 10 ourselves TO waste such an oppor-
tunity for the development Of INDUSTRIES
trnnsportation and domestic conyeaiences.