The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-05-06
New England's Water Power.

The state of Vermont, which for some
time has been wiring electrical power in
great quantity from power plants along
some of its streams TO Massachusetts,
New York state and even Rhode Island
1 is at last beginning TO wake up 10 the
possibility of utilizing at home some OF
that power, together with the vastly
greater quantity of it as yet undevel.
oped and untouched II is certainly a
curious thing that advantage of the
light and power needs of any state or
any region should not be taken by the
region itself For Vermont, or New
Hampshire, or the hill region of Massa
chusetts to buy coal for its power, while
the mountain streams continue TO run
Embarrassed to the sea, is very much like
possessing a powerful horse and leaving
it in the stable to eat off its head while
one hires neighbor's horse to pull one 5
plough. Perhaps it is the realization
of this anomaly which has led the Yer
mont conservation commission to insti-
tute an examination of the water power
possibilities of that state, sending engi-
neers from river TO river, and determn-
ing as far as possible the power re-.
sources of each stream. The result
mate that if the power of the streams
of the state now running to waste were
utilized, it would be equivalent 10 100.
900 tons of coal annually, or about one
half the amount used in operating the
present industries of the state.
The saving of coal m@eover, is by no
means the only economy which would be
effected, either in Vermont or any other
state or section, by the general CONVEX
sion of available water power into cleo
tricity Electric lighting, in country dis
tricts, has proved it's great superiority
in economy over the kerosene lighting
which now generally prevails. No farmer
or dairyman has substituted electric
lighting for lantern lighting without i'm
mediate advantage. Every little while
a set of farm buildings is destroyed,
with disastrous loss, through the upset
ting of the ineendiary farm lantern BY
stock or by human carelessness. The
annual fire toll of the farm lantern and
the farmhouse kerosene lamp is some
thing staggering. Again, the little cleo
trio motor is constantly replacing more
expensive horse power and man power
in the operation of farm machinery. The
farmer, for example, sep
arates his cream from his milk by the
power of an electric motor, and makes
a greater profit on the cream than he
could on the whole milk 1t is possible. |
Vt a small expenditure, for the farmer
10 warm his COW stables and his hennery
BY electricity, and to prevent the loss
II productivity of his stock through ex-
,osure TO cold And another and great |
economy is effected by the storage of
iood waters which goes with the utili- |
alton of the water power. Not only are /
floods prevented by such |
forage, but the continuity, and the very
xistence, of small mechanical industries
long the streams is assured.
1t is almost impossible, indeed, to es-
innate the advantage which would re-
ult to New England from general and
SYSTEMATIC utilization of the water pow
r of the numberless streams which
ONE down from our hills and mountains.
out to the barren" wastes,
We should literally gather in millions by
uch a system. The value of farm lands
would be greatly enhanced by the null
iplication of the resultant industries.
n the days to come, when we bend our
elves to the task of bearing tho debts
nd replacing the awful destruction of
his war, it will be necessary to organize
nd mobilize every resource that we
ave, and perhaps the first great res
uing resource then to be considered will
e the immense and neglected water
over of New DISQUALIFICATION Tran
cript.