The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-02
By ROBERT C. SKERRETT.

TIME continued Industrial SUI
premacy of the State of New
- York depends upon a suffi-
cheney Of motive energy. New York's
ability to hold its own commercially
with foreign competitors Is going to
hinge, in the last analysis, upon an
abundance Of relatively cheap me-
ohanical power.
The general public may not be
aware Of it. but we had a pretty close
squeak a few months back nj the
height Of the wars demands upon
our manufactures. Not only were
many plants either closed or very
much curtailed. due to a deficiency in
available energy, but our Common
wealth was crippled, actually denied
the chance to do its productive ut
most, simply because 1t was physi-
cally impossible to supply the State
with all the coal required.
During the hearings last summer in
Washington upon the Emergency
Power Bill the engineering experts
revealed the disquieting fact that a
considerable section of New York
State-the eastern portion OF it-lay
right in the so called congested power
district. Difficulties OF rail transport
ta:ion of fuel were the crux of the
problem. But simply because armed
strife has ceased We are in no wise
warranted in thinking our demands
for motive energy are to decrease.
Normal Growth 10 Per Cent.
It has been authoritatively stated
that the normal average annual
growth in power installations ranges
from 10 to IL per cent. Eight years
ago the total power installations in
New York State aggregated substan-
TALLY 100000 horse power. and the
daily consumption of energy, upon a
load factor Of 40 per cent. was 2.20O.-
900 horse power for the combined SER
vices of manufacturing. transporta-
ton, lighting and heating. Assuming
yearly increased demand of only 10
per cent then we should have avail
able plants totalllng nearly 100000
horse power capable of giving us. at
the daily load factor just mentioned.
100000 horse power each twenty
four hours.
Unfortunately, the power companies
Curtailed their expansion during the
war, and when a heavier load was
laid upon the existing plants. they
could not support It, their failure re-
sulting in the main from the inter-
rupted flow OF fuel from the mines.
Our industrial success hereafter will
he determined in large measure by
the degree to which we make our
selves independent of coal as a pri-
mary source Of power That is to say,
we must draw upon our falling waters
TO a much greater. extent than hitherto
and in this way generate energy in
form that can he distributed broad
cast without the railroads. Happily
for us, New York State is in a posi-.
ton to develop some hundreds of thou
sands OF horse power in hydro-electric
energy, and, to just that extent, Il
speed up our industrial activities with
out adding a pound TO our fuel needs.
The question is by no means new
Time and again the subject has beer
discussed from various angles. and II
varying moods, by the State Legis
lature. But only now has the situa
ton become sufficiently critical t
promise remedial legislation. Even so
the full fruit OF the present agitation
will be garnered only II the genera
public takes an active interest, ant
does its part in seeing to 1t that VI
utilize promptly and to the full al
the water power resources at OAR dis
posal.
We have been repeatedly told tina