The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-11-15
ENGLAND NOLESS THAN u. S.HAS
RECONSTRUCTION PROBLEMS
Great Electrical Power Plants Near
the Coal Pits is POssibil-
ity of the Future.

Private ownership and public con-
troll are advocated by the British
subcommittee on coal conservation.
That foreign governments are giving
careful attention to the problems of
reconstruction is evidenced by the
fact that this particular report was
made in April, 1917, although it has
but recently been made public. The
report contains a discussion on the
waste and inconvenience of the pres
emit system of powed. supply, of the
| Importance of electrical power to the
industries of the kingdom, and of the
economies and incidental advantages
of substituting a comprehensive sys-
TEN of generation and distribution of
electrice power for the present hap
hazard and peacemeal methods. The
report indicates that in these latter re-
spects the conditions in England are
no better than in the United States,
and fuel is transported all over Eng
land in order that it may be burned
in innumerable furnaces in every part
of the kingdom. The electrical I'M
dertakings in England are described
as being about the same as we have
in the United States, inasmuch as
most of the plants are small and rela
lively insufficient.
Reconstruction movements abroad
and at home recognize the fact that
the worlds industries have been built
on steam power, and that adoption of
another form of energy, which will be
more efficient, will nevertheless in
wolves scrapping costly plants. This is
handicap to what would otherwise
be recognized as an incentive to use
electricity as a motive force.
The world is thinking and talking
about coal, and in the reconstruction
plans with reference to power that
have been developed in England, give
good deal of attention to the need
of electrical energy to supplant steam
in industry, and in consequence cut
down the consumption of coal. The
best minds, in the United are agreed
hat the transmission IF powe ny
electricity from central generating
plants, will solve not only the coal
mining problems, but the excessive
demand for transportation will also
be lessened thereby. England is act
ually perfecting plans which will
supercede the present inefficient sys-
tenn of furnishing power through a
comprehensive system which will di-
vide the kingdom into sixteen dis
tricts, instead of six hundred, as at
present; and in each of the districts
there will be a recognized authority
to deal with all the problems of gen.
Grafton and distribution. A similar pro-
cess has been suggested by the Smith
sonian Institution, and it will seek to
create centers or sites in the United
States suitable for electric genera
ting purposes in order to simplify dis
tribution. The plan is to develop
electro chemical processes in close
proximity to power plants. If the
new plans carry through it will not be
many years before the greater part
of the coal used for power pur-
poses will be burned near where it is
mined.
When private ownership adjusts
itself to public control, as officially
urged in England, it will be entirely
possible to bring about an amalgama-
ton of existing power companies.
The British report defines how COM
pany and municipal plants can oper-
ate on entirely Independent plans
thru the aid of federal agencies that
will be helpful to both of them.