The Washington herald., 1918-01-02

1 NAidN IL " % AAOhkuA pAODdblt AhaN
the government would so greatly re-
strict the use of water power at Nj
| agara Falls that possibly as many as
hundred industries will be com
PEELED TO shut down. That statement
was based upon information that came
yesterday from Niagara. Almost all
of these are small industries, but the
operation OF them means every
thing to the managers and stockhold-
ers. They are, however. the govern
ment representatives are inclined TO
believe, occupied in the manufa cture
Of commodities which neither direct
ly nor indirectly are essential for war
purposes.
Important Industries.
On the other hand. there are several
large industries at Niagara which are
regarded by the governments rep
resentatives as not merely essential
to maintain but should also be speed
ed up to their highest capacity. For
instance, electrodes which are OF the
highest importance in the manufac-
ture Of the commodities needed for
the war and which are manufactured
at Niagara Falls will be expected by
the government representatives to
speed up TO absolute capacity and this
means an increased use OF water-pow-
er by this industry. Very likely,
aluminium will be thus regarded by
the government.
II is a curious fact that the only
other manufa curing center where the
government is now undertaking to
~. Of al >.
clusively to industries which are en-
gagged in the manufacture OF commo-
dities essential TO carrying on the war
is Pittsburgh. TIE reason why the
government has decided that no cleo
| trio power shall be transmitted to
| nonessential industries in or near
! Pittsburgh unless there be surplus
power after necessary industries have
been supplied with electric energy. is
TO be found IN the fact mat the gov
ernment discovered that there Is
! shortage OF coal at Pittsburgh.
This seems incredible until there is
good understanding Of the fact that
I Pittsburgh is the center of vast man
ufsctuTing Industries. the output Of
which is of vital importance to the
government and this output should be
maintained and increased. Pitts
| burgh's electric energy. however, is
secured through the transfer OF the
| energy Of coal into electric motive
power. On the other hand, at Niagara
\ Falls no coal is necessary for the
generation of electric energy. That
| energy is entirely provided by the
| utilization of some part Of the great
force which Is in the Niagara River
and therefore it is not because Of the
shortage Of coal at Niagara Falls.
but apparently because Of the short
age OF electric power. although that
| is furnished by water energy which
has caused the government represen-
tatiyes to deem il advisable to supply
| almost all the Niagara power to in
dustries which are manufacturing es-
sentials.
The Pittsburgh district has coal
| in abundance, but it is not coal that
is available in sufficient amounts
! to meet the unparalleled emergen-
cies occasioned by the war. So also
the Niagara River has water power
almost immeasurable. Prof. Hers
chel Clemons. formerly railroad
| commissioner OF Massachusetts, and
an engineer who is listed among
the ablest in the United States,
vas recently quoted as having said
that in company with a friend who
( had never seen Niagara before he
vI.ited the falls. The friend was
! . man of science and also Of high
reputation as an engineer. He
| looked earnestly at the falls for a
few minutes. then said The equi-
valent in energy OF a ton of coal
is carried over the falls in every
second and goes to waste"
Insufficient supply.
notwithstanding the large utili-
zation of Niagara's power never
theless it is insufficient at this
time. The day will come when
much more OF this power will be
captured and converted into cleo
trio energy than is now the case.
But that time will not come until
after the war is ended. Dr.. Hers
chel said recently that he was
strongly persuaded that had the
plan which was worked out and
advocated by an engineer or the
name of Love been adopted, the
Niagara River would now be fur
nishing all OF the water-power
needed for the conversion into
electric energy of the equivalent
OF many hundred thousand horse
power.
II would not be necessary for the
government to compel some industries
at NIAGARA Falls to suspend opera
tions at this time because their
product is regarded as non-essen-
tiaI. had the Love plan been adopt
! ed. The men of capital and some
Of the men of science who became
interested in the development Of
the Niagara wats. power and who
made possible the construction OF
the great water power plant made
choice of the system now in use,
deeming il best to neglect the plan
which Mr. Love had worked out.
The interesting coincidence in this
anplication OF the governments
power TO restrict energy TO essentials
is To he found in the fact that this
power has been exercised in the Pitts
burgh district because there is a
shortage Of coal. coal being used
there for the production of electric
energy. although Pittsburgh is the
center of one OF the greatest coal
deposits in the world. while on the
other hand the government is also
exercising or Is about to exercise
that power at Niagara Falls. where
there is an unlimited amount of en-
crgy that is going to waste. simply