The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-03
INDUSTRIES AND WATERPOWEI


 Some of the leaders of the industries of Niagara Falls have wondered why the government found it expedient to re- strict the use of hydroelectric power It certainly cannot be for the purpose of saving coal, for no coal is used in the creation of this energy. Some of the Industries at Niagara are of the utmost importance to the government at this time.
 While these restrictions have been placed upon the use of hydroelectrio power at Niagara on the American side Canada has been encouraging the use ot her great water powers. In fact, had It not been for the war the Canadian government would have by this time completed canal stretching from an in- let near the eastern end of Lake Erie to point near the western end of Lake Ontaria. This canal would have con- veyed hundreds of thousands of horse power energy. This would have enabled Canada to undertake some of the great industries her people, had in view be- fore the European war began. The ca nal will undoubtedly be built as soon as possible after peace comes.
 An American corporation, the Pitts burg Reduction company has already established a large plant at point about
 
 This corporation is the largest manu- facturer of aluminium in the world. It's Canadian plant is now known as the Northern Aluminium company, and the able men of this corporation who have so highly developed the industry as to make aluminium an important and widely used commercial commodity, were among 1 the first, if not the very first to estab- fish great plant at a point known as Sha winigan Falls, between Montreal and Quebec. Already there are 100000 horse power available for new plants. and ul- tiately there will be 600,O00 available water power How speedily industrial leaders recognize the economy made possible by the utilization of water power is made clear by the fact that 20 years ago at the point where the great power plants are now established there was nothing but wilderness. Today there is an industrial city with population of l5,00 whose industries as recently as lel6 were in a single year of the money l value f.s20,OO0,00o. There is perhaps no better illustration of the readiness with which great industries will accept op- portunlties for the use of adequate water power than the recent experience of the city of Shawinigan furnished.
 After the first power development there the Canadian Northern railroad was opened and right upon the heels of the construction of that new transpor- tauon system came the Pittsburg Reduc- tion company The company made care rul estimate of the cost of the produc- ] tion of aluminium. It was found that It would be necessary to transport re- | fired beauxite, which is the clay from which aluminium is made by the process Invented by the late Charles Hall. and this required transportation for consid- erable distance by rail. The company | uses about 6o,000.000 horse power and this has been found economical notwith- standing the fact that the refined beau lte is brought by rail from the United States and then the aluminium which is 1 manufactured from the bauxite is trans ported to all parts of the United States and Canada.
 1 Thus Pittsburg capital which has al- ready been invested in a manufacturing l plant at Niagara Falls is also invested l through attractive water power proposi- | tions to Canada. The industry employs there some 800 skilled artisans. Besides 1 manufacturing all of the aluminium wire made in Canada the company also has q wire drawing and cabling plant. The 1 establishment of this American industry In Canada at point where convenient and abundant water power can be cheaply obtained cannot fail to impress those in Congress who are now consider. Ing the best method of utilizing the great water powers in the United States i whose energy has from prehistoric times gone to waste.