New-York tribune., 1918-01-21

d.
between different parts of the count,
would be impossible, or practically i'm
possible, without railways, so trade n
power-the supply of power wbsra ~
most required from the source VIII
1t can be most economically eene,ataS
is impossible without trunk ms;ss
Such trunk electrical "roadsn mns. u.s.
made and standardized, Just AZ .Se Se
railways have been. ''e
Apart from the advantages aris;n.
from increase in the size of the nlanss
there are others to be secured fron,,
the erection of plants on roomy and
emclen1 SITES rather than on crowded
and inefficient ones:
% Capitalization of preduct;or
terially facilitates supervision ana Is' 10
sures the better operation of anv oiva,
plant as regards improvement in oen'
eral coal economy. es''
~ Ihe health of the great indns.
TRIAL centres and the congestion Of tbs
railways IN their neighborhood would
De radically improved by arranging to
carry out the conversion of coal ;nto
motive power away from the denselv
populated centres.
(3( BY placing either the main q,
supplementary plants at or near n.
collerles much coal that is now was,aJ
or left in the pits could be p-oitaSl,.
utlilzed, and the coal that would other'
wise be used to transport tho coa,
used would also be saved
(Q Observation-Disclosures far.;l-
izers, crude oils, oils for marina nro.
pulsion and motor spirit for road trsc sc
tlon-obtainable from the coal befoso
1t is consumed in the boiler fnrnscs
or producer, could be extracted in sn,,
case where il was proved econonica,
to do so. N0'-'Oiiiicei
Apart rom saving in fuel. central.
ized iized power production is essential e
the capital charges and labor costs ara
10 De reduced to minimum. Only bv
supplying all the needs cf the rom,
munlty from one system can the NAV.
mum use be made Of the plant. The
economy OF z combination of all re-
auiieiHen's-power, @ traction. lighting
and feating-is Fundamental ''''"e
The Technical Problem
At present the supply OF electrcitv
IN Nreat Britain is divided between Sl3
company and 325 municipal undertak.
Algs. Inc average generating plant "a.
paclty of those UNDERTAKINGS wb;rb
nave power stations is 5000 horse.
power. or about one-fourth the canacity
OF one single generating machine of
economlcal size, and about one.tbjr-
lietn the size of what may be consia
ered an economical power station
unit" This haphazard multiplication
ol shnali generating plants not situated
at points where generation can be Ell
1ected most chsaply, but in the middle
Oh towns or other small and restricted
areas, renders it Impossible to obtain
tnOSp n
GRAFTON and distribution of electric
power IN regard to economy of coal. the
use OF waste coal, the extraction Of
by-products. etc.
Ihe linking up Of adjacent power
statlons Is step in the direction of
economy, and should be encouraged.
provided it is appreciated that it
IS only step. As a permanent solu.
ton it Is not effective, because, in the
ilrst place, it is impossible 10 run
large number of lnked-up stations at
the highest economy unless they are
under the same ownership and control
and, IN the second place, what is still
more important, where such stations
are under separate control iinAing-up
scheme pure and simple tends rather
70 perpetuate the uneconomical station
than the reverse.
Inc report does not suggest that
scheme of power distribution for the
Whoie country can be treated as an or
olnary engineering project and cen.
mchced "Ge novo,' but it urges that the
time has come for the matter TO be
considered comprehensively and for
ne reorganization of the existing in
discriminate power supply systems TO
be undertaken on correct lines. Were
an entirely new national system con.
tcmp!ated it would be comparatively
easv TO settle on the correct transmits
SION and distribution system That,
however, is not possible. since a great
ceal OF capital has already been in-
vested IN cables and plant. To utilize
existing plant 20 the best advantage is
oy no means an easy problem. The
mann transmission system must be al
'1ernatng current, three phase, at
hlgh voltage, but Il more difficult ques-
non is that of frequency In Great
britain no fewer than ten frequencies
al. are employed to-day. A division Of
England and Scotland into areas hay-
ing 1requencies Of so, 40 and 25 cy-
cles, respectively, represents the least
amount OF scrapping of existing plant
c'.ohs'stent with development on right
iines. Roughly speaking. England,
south of a line between the Humber
and Carlisle, could run at so cycles,
wlth the possible exception Of the
Black Country; between this line and
the Chcviots might remain at 40 cy-
cles, while the whole of Scotland might
be standardized at 20 cycles.
II comprehensive system of cleo
Irlcity supply were inaugurated a saw
ing OF 55,000,000 tons of coal, on the
oasis or the extent to which power is
1sed at present, may, in the opinion OF
me uo-committee, be expected. TAX
ng the value Of this coal for export
purposes at los. ton. the nationa ad-
vantage of the change, available for in
crest on capital. would be, say, s27,..
'oo,oOO IN coal alone. Alternatively, il
.hese 5o,OO0,000 tons of coal were used
-or extended and new industrial pur-
'oses, some 100000 horsepower would
,e available throughout the year for
ne purpose. This saving takes no ac-
'oune OF other advantages that would
'esult directly from the establishment
y = an efhclent electric supply system
nroughout the country, such as reduc-
ION in the cost of transport of coal,
'ossible saving in coal consumption for
ION lomestlc purposes (now probably S5,'
oo.oOo tons year,, reduction in the
ost OF houseto- house delivery and
distribution of coal, advantages
nd economies arising from the more
A,ehded use of electricity in the house
lolo Tor heating, cooking and cleaning
purposes, the possibility of utilizing
oal now left in the pits or otherwise
'asted and of extracting by-products'
hd the increase in railway electriiica'
ION, with its attendant advantages,
'hlch comprehensive electric supply